Stitches and Burns
by radcliffe bass
Summary: Chapter Summary : Yuuri and Wolfram finally have a chance to talk.
1. Chapter 1

**Stitches and Burn**

_Radcliffe Bass_

_**A/N : Never liked Yaoi, but these two just made me rethink and expand my thinking. They are so kawaii that i don't think the anime would be as good had Yuuri been engaged to someone other than Wolfram. This is my first attempt at this type of pairing so please forgive me if the writing has some misses in it. Hope you like it. R&R please (",)**_

_**Disclaimer : I don't own Kyo Kara Maou, if I did, Yuuri and Wolfram should have been married by now. LOL (",)**_

**Chapter 1**

There's a song that keeps on ringing in Wolfram's head and he doesn't know why. It's been two months after he broke his engagement with Yuuri in order to save him from his uncle's plan. Life has now returned to normal after that incident. Inhabitants of Shin Makoku, nobles and commoners alike, have come to terms with their rightful Maoh's lifestyle.

In regards with their engagement, people living inside Blood Pledge Castle never acknowledge the dissolution, much to the chagrin of their current Maoh. Wolfram looked up from the book he was reading and averted his gaze towards the window. He sighed, they might be engaged but he's far from being happy about it. Somehow through the course of time, he learned not to show Yuuri's effect on him. He stopped following him everywhere, doesn't get mad when he smiles or looks at someone other than him. Heck! He even stopped sleeping in his room. He doesn't know why but ever since that incident, he's been rethinking his future options. Maybe he's just being patient or he just got tired of waiting and lost the will to fight for what he once considered his. He remembered one conversation he had with Conrad before all hell broke loose…

_Flashback…_

_Wolfram was in his room, it was the night of the celebration of the Maoh's coming of age. The day that will change his life, after tonight, he would no longer be Yuuri's fiancée, he can no longer call him by his first name… _

_Wolfram sighed and re-read the letter he created. It hurt to think it will take a long time before he will able to see his friends and family again but he shook his head as if dispelling the thoughts. He's doing this for everyone, especially for Yuuri's sake. They have gone through a lot of things to achieve the peaceful kingdom they have today. He wouldn't let anyone ruin it, not even his uncle. _

_He was about to sign the letter when he heard somebody knock on his door. He quickly covered the letter with a clean sheet of paper before answering the door. "Who is it?" he asked. The door opened and a certain brown haired soldier's head peeped through the opening, "It's Conrad, may I come in?" his brother asked. Wolfram nodded and motioned for him to close the door. Conrad obliged and walked towards Wolfram whose now leaning on the window. "Everyone's having a good time downstairs, why are you here?" Conrad asked, joining him by the window. "I don't feel like joining the festivities," he answered softly. Conrad smiled, "Aren't you afraid that Yuuri will take this opportunity to dance with every beautiful demon or human he sees downstairs?"_

_Wolfram felt his heart jump a little at the thought but fought the urge to rush downstairs, and answered his brother cryptically, "He has every right to do so, and he is the Maoh after all." Conrad looked at him a little surprised but decided to remain silent. Conrad knew his brother enough that if he doesn't want to elaborate, nobody can juice out any information from him._

_A few minutes of silence followed, before Wolfram asked, "Conrad, if you were to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea, what would your decision be?" His brother smiled, "Hmmm… since we're demons, don't you think it's kind of easy?" Conrad replied trying to lighten the mood. Wolfram looked at him with sad eyes; Conrad knew his brother was serious. He looked out and gazed at the stars, he sighed before answering, "Whatever I chose, it's not a guarantee that I'll be happy, choosing the lesser of two evils does not mean you are doing the right thing." Wolfram remained silent therefore Conrad continued, "I don't really know what's going on in that pretty head of yours brother so I don't know what to tell you. All I can say is that instead of asking me those questions, you should contemplate if what you're doing is the right thing or just the easy way out."_

_Wolfram looked at Conrad, realization suddenly dawning on him. The older prince smiled when he saw the realization reflected through the eyes of his younger brother. He decided that his role for tonight has ended so he started to walk towards the door; he was about to open the door when he heard Wolfram ask, "Conrad, would you do the right thing or the easy way?"_

_Conrad stopped and replied, "Choices are never easy little brother, doing the easy thing is never good on the conscience, doing the right thing can sometimes be painful, and there is no guarantee that you'll get the result you wanted because whatever you decide will have great effect on those people involved." He turned to Wolfram and smiled, "But the good thing about choices is you get to test how good you are at running your life, and become more mature, no matter what the outcome is. So when faced with tough decisions, I ought to choose the option that results in the greater good, might not always be the easy choice but the results are always worth the sacrifice." He opened the door and as an afterthought added, "Do remember we're always here for you." Then he finally closed the door behind him._

_Wolfram stared at the closed door, his mind contemplating on the words his brother advised. He walked towards his desk, re-read the letter once more; carefully examining each word he wrote and with renewed resolve signed his name. _

_He will do everything in his power to stop those who threaten the peace of the kingdom he'd promise to protect. He was doing the right thing as hard and painful it might be, and for the first time in his life, he felt like he wasn't the "selfish brat" everyone thought of anymore._

_End flashback_

"Wolfram?" a worried voice broke him from his reveries. He looked up and smiled at his adoptive daughter Greta. "I'm okay, don't worry," he assured her. Greta smiled back; she knows she'll never get an honest answer from her father since he would never show his weakness to anyone. The smile they both gave each other was an assurance that they understood how each other felt. _'If only Yuuri has half a wit like Greta, everything would be_ _fine.'_ "Do you want to go out in the garden?" Wolfram asked Greta, the little girl nodded and they walked out of the room.

"Heika! Where have you gone?!" Wolfram heard Gunter's loud voice ringing in the hallway. Greta and Wolfram looked at the direction of Gunter's voice, the lavender haired advisor shouted, "Have you seen Heika? I just went out of the library for a while and when I came back, he's gone." Wolfram shrugged and answered, "He's probably bored and went to train with Conrad, why don't you go to training grounds?" he suggested.

Gunter eyed Wolfram like he was nuts, the advisor can't believe his ears; the youngest prince doesn't seem agitated by the fact that his fiancé is free to roam around and flirt with every beautiful demon in the kingdom. This behavior is so un-Wolfram like. "Excuse us, Greta and I are supposed to go to the garden, if you do find Heika, tell him where we are, he might want to spend some time with his daughter," with that, Wolfram took Greta's hand and went towards the garden's direction, leaving the poor advisor shocked and confused.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_A/N : Sorry took a long time to update and if the chapter does not make sense (or sucked big time), still adjusting with the new shift. For those who reviewed my work, Arigato! Anyway, I do plan to upload a new chapter every week, so please R&R!_

_**Disclaimer : I do not own Kyo Kara Maoh, if I did, Wolfram would probably get his longtime wish. (",)**_

Shibuya Yuuri, 27th Maoh of Shin Makoku, his will and perseverance created the peaceful kingdom they are now experiencing, then why in the name of the Great One can't he have a piece of the peace!

Ever since he came back from Earth, events and work has piled up. If he doesn't find himself in trouble, he's probably locked up in some dungeon in Big Shimaron, or probably buried in loads of paperwork from Gwendal. Or training with Conrad, or either being hugged to death by Gunter or finding ways to escape Lady Anissina's experiments. He sighed, there was really no way a good Maoh can spend his day peacefully in Shin Makoku.

Right now, he's hiding under the bushes of the lake Greta, Wolfram and he has discovered a month ago. He barely escaped Gunter's History lessons as the lavender haired advisor practically dragged him from hallways after making some excuse about needing to take a short break from Gwendal. It was a good thing that Lady Celi needed some "advice" from Gunter, that gave him the chance to escape using the emergency route from the library's windows which Yozak so thoughtfully created for him.

So here he is, tired and frustrated, hiding in an un-kingly way in HIS castle less someone finds him and shove more duties on his way. It's not like Yuuri's complaining, but a guy can only handle so much at one time. He sighed; he knows that events in Big Shimaron are directly affecting the daily activities in the palace, but heck! Can't they just let him have a breather once in a while? These people are worse than Wolfram when he's in a jealous fit! _'At least Wolfram is just one person, and he seems to know when not to bother me anymore,'_ he thought to himself.

Come to think, he hasn't felt the blond prince's for sometime now. He did remember that the last time he went to other allied countries; it was Gunter and Greta who accompanied him together with Conrad instead of Wolfram. He was surprised but just shrugged it off when Conrad joked that Wolfram is probably tired of vomiting each time he accompanies Yuuri. He did find it strange that the Mazoku is letting him off the hook that easy, not jumping at the chance to make his journey miserable with his baseless accusation regarding his so-called infidelity. He did remember uttering a word of gratitude to Shinou that for the first time in his life, he might actually enjoy that diplomatic visit.

Boy was he wrong! Wolfram though physically incapable, still managed to make the trip excruciating for him. All throughout the visit, Yuuri can't seem to stop thinking that the blond prince might pop out of their closet or luggage (like what he did before) and decide to fry him to death. Yuuri did remember that he always finds himself looking over his shoulder every half-minute while dancing with some of the ladies during the welcome parties the countries held during his visit, as if afraid that someone would catch him red-handed, call him an "adulterous wimp", and scream bloody murder all throughout the night.

He smiled when he recalled a scene a few weeks ago...

_Flashback…_

_Yuuri woke up to the sound of birds chirping from the tree outside his window. He let his eyes adjust for a moment and found himself in an unfamiliar room. He paused for a moment to think of his location. 'Oh yeah, Caloria,' he muttered to himself as events of the past few weeks played on his mind. They were on the last leg of their diplomatic visits to allied countries after the incident in Big Shimaron. Gwendal insisted that Yuuri visit each country personally to strengthen the bond and assure loyalties, especially now that Big Shimaron is on the move. The dark-gray haired soldier stated that doing such visit is better than just having a simple alliance meeting._

_Yuuri was more than happy to oblige with the request (order actually), he was bored out of his wits after returning from Big Shimaron, and he does agree with Gwendal's line of thinking, what with the situation with the rival country, it is still better to be prepared than sorry. _

_He yawned and stretched a little, trying to wake himself up when he heard a groan coming from the other side of the bed. On instinct, the double black shifted further away from the sleeping form until he fell on the ground. Yuuri stood up from his position and yelled, "Wolfram! How many times do I have to tell you not to…" he paused when he heard the familiar giggle coming from the "sleeping form" on his bed. Two wide brown eyes were staring at him teasingly, "Daddy, if you miss Papa a lot why don't we head back to Shin Makoku today?" Greta asked innocently. _

_The Maoh just stared at his daughter in surprise, Greta seeing the expression on her father's face laughed and jumped out of bed. "Sorry," Yuuri muttered, "I thought you were somebody else." Greta grinned, "Yuuri! I can't believe you're thinking of another person when we've been sleeping together for the past few weeks!" Greta scolded, mimicking the blond prince, "You cheater!" _

_Yuuri laughed at the display. "Good morning to you too," he said as he hugged his little girl. At the same time, the door to their room opened, Greta broke from her father's embrace and ran towards the two men entering their room. "Gunter, Conrad, can you believe Yuuri mistook me for Papa?" Yuuri cringed, his daughter doesn't really waste time, had she been on Earth, she would have made a good career as a newscaster. Gunter smiled at the little princess, "Really? That's must mean you are getting more beautiful with each passing day," he said. Conrad just nodded at the remark. Gunter smiled at his majesty and escorted Greta out of the room to help the princess prepare for breakfast. _

_Later that day…_

_Yuuri had enough! How can Wolfram stay in Shin Makoku and still manage to make his life miserable?! Yuuri plopped himself on the bed angrily, Conrad who was following him with an amused smile on his face closed the door behind him and sat on the nearest chair available. A few minutes passed before Yuuri finally spoke, "I am so not going on another alliance country visit again!" Conrad just smiled, Yuuri sat up and frowned, "I'm serious!" he insisted but Conrad just nodded. _

"_Why aren't you taking me seriously?" he asked his godfather. "Heika…" Conrad started, "Yuuri I mean," he continued, "The people of Caloria would understand your actions." His godson looked at him with questioning eyes, "Really now? They would understand of course but I still made a complete fool of myself!"_

_Conrad shrugged, "I don't see anything wrong with what you did today. Your diplomatic skills were really great and the speech you gave during the inauguration sounded really encouraging." Yuuri frowned, "Yeah, those things I did fine. If only I can also categorized falling off the horse during the parade as fine? Or running off to the forest during a baseball game regal? And yeah, does screaming like a baboon at a noble fall under the words graceful?!" Yuuri sighed, "Shinou! I am such a klutz! Even Wolfram does a better job at humiliating himself."_

"_Yuuri, everyone's entitled to make mistakes," Conrad said, "Besides, it takes a lot of talent to do those things and still look adorable. I mean, you made the people of Caloria happy with those antics of yours." He laughed; Yuuri eyed him like he was crazy. "Also, you made these people aware that nobles are not perfect, even the Maoh." The black haired boy nodded in agreement and was about to smile when Conrad added, "Besides, if you haven't noticed, this wasn't the first country you made blunders during our visit, it's just that this was the worse." Which earned a blush from the Maoh, "Ah he, uhm, I was distracted I guess," Yuuri replied._

"_By whom?" Conrad asked. 'By Little Lord Brat' he thought immediately, but of course he wouldn't let Conrad know. "Uhm, ano… by the crisis at hand I guess," he laughed nervously. Conrad nodded, "If you say so," the brown haired soldier said as stood up and left Yuuri to his thoughts._

_Yuuri tilted his head at the odd remark. He sighed; he just doesn't know what's happening to him. He looked at his night table and groaned; he slumped on his bed and covered his head with a pillow, defeated. On the vase on his night table is a bouquet of yellow roses, the exact shade of his fiancée's hair._

_End flashback…_

Yuuri sighed, he had better things to do than reminisce stupid memories. Yuuri reached for Morgif and started to stand up when something blue fell from the handle. He picked it up and found himself looking at the blue fish keychain that Gwendal bought for Wolfram when they were on Earth. How it ended up on Morgif was really hazy but Yuuri did remember it was one of those days when the blond boy was on a good mood.

He sighed; he was doing it again, unconsciously thinking of the Mazoku. The young king looked at the item with sad eyes. "Why the sad face Heika?" he heard a familiar voice join him in his hiding place. Yuuri looked up from the keychain and met the familiar smiling gray eyes of his advisor. "Nothing," Yuuri replied, he looked at the other man and asked, "What are you doing cramped in a place like this?"

Gunter smiled, "I should be asking the same thing about you Heika," he continued, "but to answer your question, Hime coaxed the brothers and some servants to play a game of hide-and-seek with her, Wolfram is unlucky enough to be the seeker."

Yuuri chuckled, "Hide-and-seek, aren't you guys a little bit too old for such a childish game?"

"You should be asking the same thing yourself Heika," Gunter countered. Yuuri looked at him, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

Gunter smiled knowingly, "The game you've been playing with Little Lord Brat for the past few years now." Yuuri opened his mouth to protest but no sound came out. Gunter smirked, "Oh, don't deny it Heika; people around you see what you choose to ignore."

"I am…" Yuuri started but stopped. He thought for a moment, then said, "But we're both boys, it's not normal. How am I supposed to deal with it?"

Gunter sighed, seems like what they say about the Maoh is correct, he's a little bit dense. "Heika, may I ask you a question?" Yuuri nodded, Gunter continued, "What is more important, your right eye or your left eye?"

"Are you crazy?! None is more important than the other!" Yuuri exclaimed. Gunter jumped on Yuuri trying to silence him. "May I remind you that I am supposed to be hiding?" Gunter said in a soft fierce voice.

"Sorry," Yuuri answered. "Anyway, what's the point of the question?"

Gunter smiled, "Another question, if either one of those eyes lost its sense of sight, what are you going to do?"

Yuuri thought for a moment, then replied, "Move on I guess, as long as I have one eye that still functions, I can live, I'll just learn to deal with the crisis I guess."

"Exactly!" Gunter exclaimed, "That answer's your question." Yuuri looked at him quizzically. "We need both eyes to function properly, not one is more important than the other. However when one part loses its function, we just deal with crisis and move on, life does not stop with the loss."

Gunter looked at his young king, "It's the same with your situation Heika, these values and traditions that you acquired from Earth and Shin Makoku are an important part of your life. You simply can't choose which world you want to stay in permanently because you'll be leaving people behind. However, when you don't stop functioning when you have to stay here or Earth." Yuuri looked at Gunter with wide eyes, realization dawning on his mind. Gunter was right, these feelings of restraints that he has regarding feelings towards same gender were beliefs on Earth, looked down upon but not entirely unwanted. Shin Makoku does not look down upon these relationships since they are a part of their culture.

Gunter grinned when he saw the look on Yuuri's face. "You're right Gunter!" Yuuri agreed, "Why would I want to look at the world from one eyes' point of view when I can look at the horizon with both eyes."

"Yes Heika," Gunter smiled once more, "one more thing Heika, it's doesn't really matter how you look at the world, what's more important is how you feel when using your eyesight. Most people may look at the world with both eyes wide open, but they remain blind to the things that matter the most. Remember that Heika."

Yuuri looked at the keychain he was holding earlier and remembered how he felt when he realized Wolfram no longer followed him around; how he missed the way he addressed him (never mind the wimp part). The disappointment he felt when he learned that Wolfram won't be joining the trip, and the emptiness he felt when he found himself alone in bed, longing to see the person wearing the frilly pink nightgown.

He had been a fool, but before he let misery overcome him, he imagined the warmth that Wolfram's smile gave him. The happiness he felt when he sees the prince in jealous fits. The silly yet amused feeling he feels when Wolfram hurls insults at him. Mostly, the calm and peace he feels when he finds himself awake at night, watching Greta and Wolfram sleep.

Gunter had seen the play of emotions on Yuuri's eyes and decided that his presence is no longer needed when he felt Yuuri grab him by the neck uttering words of gratitude. Gunter was surprised at the gesture that he did not anticipate falling backwards, he grabbed hold of Yuuri's waist to prevent the young king from falling completely on the ground. Yuuri fell on top of Gunter in a very intimate and awkward position, and as the double black king's misfortune would have it. It was in that position that Wolfram found them.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N : I'm sorry it took a long time to update but I was able to watch Episode 11 of Season 3 and I was really depressed about Anissina and Gwendal. I like Anissina but I was pinning for Gwendal and Gunter! Anyway, I just watched Kung Fu Panda and it made me happy again. I just decided to do my own fluff about Gwendal and Gunter. I hope you liked it!**_

_**Also, please do leave a review if you can, I love reading them even if it's just two words (wink, wink)! **_

_**SilentKiller1:**__** I honestly loved your review for chapter 2. I was thinking the same thing after re-reading the chapter.**_

_**Jonquina: I really want him to fry Yuuri but I don't want Gunter to get hurt lol**_

_**Panda: These two have had misunderstandings all throughout the anime; it wouldn't hurt to add more lol**_

_**Achilleas: Thanks for liking this fic, I'll try to update as much as I can.**_

_**Darkspider: I hated Yuuri a little bit as well when he kept on saying "Never mind the engagement". I was like wtf? Wolfram's like risking everything for you! Anyway, I hope I punished him enough here lol**_

_**Kailyssia: Wolfram's my fave, must be the reason I'm better at writing him coz I am so biased when it comes to him lol**_

_**Mizuki hikari: I am a solid YuuRam fan lol but I think I'll give Yuuri a few beatings first before I let him have my precious Wolfram (evil laugh)**_

_**Lastly, hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. Please R&R!! Arigato **_

_**  
Disclaimer : I do not own KKM, but I always wished I did. **_

_****_

Chapter 3

Wolfram was rooted in his place; he can't believe what he is seeing. _'The stupid cheater!'_ his mind screamed in anger. He clenched his fist and was silently calling on his fire maryoku when a flash of green appeared on his right side moving towards the king and his advisor, followed closely by Conrad. Yuuri yelped in surprise when he was forcefully wrenched from Gunter's body and dumped in Conrad's arms. "Heika, are you alright?" the brown haired soldier asked his godson. Yuuri nodded and said, "Yuuri, I said call me by my name Conrad." Conrad nodded and Yuuri gave him a goofy grin, he turned to his advisor and was about to ask him a question when he stopped, eyes wide in surprise. Conrad chuckled at Yuuri's expression, "Don't worry Yuuri, you're not the only one who's surprised to see this scene," he assured the young king. "I think I had the same confused look when I first saw Gwendal kiss his husband," he explained.

Wolfram can't help but chuckle at Yuuri, if the double black's face showed surprise earlier at seeing the scene, it now read shocked after Conrad explained the rationale behind. He had to agree with Yuuri though; it's a really weird sight to behold. _'Although it's a bit refreshing and calming as well,'_ he thought to himself as he felt his anger dissipate. "Husband? Married?" Yuuri asked stupidly, not quite comprehending the situation well. Yozak decided to step in, "They'd been married for 15 years now Heika."

"Oh," was all Yuuri could say. He looked at Wolfram for help. The blond prince sighed and said, "Nobody told you because it doesn't seem to fit the situation at hand." Wolfram turned around and looked Yuuri in the eye before saying, "Besides, you have already established your dislike for such things. So what's the point in making you understand?" With that the young prince left.

"That was deep," Ken Murata, Yuuri's bestfriend and the Great Sage's reincarnation remarked. "Aren't you going to follow him?" Yuuri looked at his friend as if asking _'Why should I?'_ Before Ken could answer Gwendal spoke, "Heika, I know you would never consider my brother as someone you could marry but I suggest you follow him and fix this once and for all." Then the soldier bowed at him and started to walk towards the palace. Gunter followed suit but not before whispering to Yuuri, "Remember Heika, do not remain blind to the things that matter the most." Yuuri saw Gunter look at Gwendal's retreating form with eyes full of love and respect. The older Mazoku looked at his young charge, "It's always nice to keep your eyes on the prize." He then bowed to his king and followed his most treasured person.

* * *

Later that day…

A couple of hours had already passed since the incident with the Maoh. He knew his husband well enough to let him have his space when he's in one of his jealousy fits. Gunter decided to just stay in the library for a while, before finally confronting Gwendal. He closed the door to Gwendal's office a little too loud to get the prince's attention. The oldest prince looked at him with questioning eyes. Gunter grinned goofily, "You were jealous." Gwendal snorted, "So what if I am? I am your husband, I have every right."

The advisor smiled, "I know, and I do not forget, you do not need to remind me." Gwendal smiled back, "Sometimes you need to be reminded, with all your antics and big crush on the Maoh." Gwendal leaned back on his chair and motioned for Gunter to join him. The lavender haired man obliged, he sat on Gwendal's lap and leaned on his chest. They remained like that for a few minutes, savoring this rare moment when they can enjoy each other's company outside their bedroom.

"Yuuri's a good person Gwendal," Gunter said after sometime. "I know," Gwendal replied, "I just don't like the way he treats my brother." Gunter sighed; he knows how overprotective Conrad and Gwendal are towards their youngest brother. He had to admit, even though he loved teasing and calling Wolfram 'Little Lord Brat', he himself is guilty of such action sometimes. However, this is Yuuri they are talking about, the kindest person he had ever met, and he isn't defending him because he is his loyal advisor but as someone who had seen the changes on the young man.

He was about to speak when Gwendal spoke, "But then, Wolfram chose this, so I know I don't have the right to intrude." He leaned his head on Gunter's shoulder, "Besides, I have seen the way Yuuri looks at Wolfram these past few weeks, and I think there is still hope." Gunter held his husband's face lovingly, "Yes there is still hope, let's just wish that Wolfram haven't gone tired of waiting." Gwendal nodded and kissed him.

The door to the office burst open which made the couple stop; there stood Yuuri, looking embarrassed and shocked once again. "Ano, gomen, I didn't know," Yuuri stammered as he turned his back from the sight. _'I have got to get used to this,'_ the young king thought to himself. He heard stifled laughter coming from the room before he heard Gwendal ask him, "Do you need Gunter or me for anything Heika?"

Yuuri turned and faced the people inside the room; thankfully, Gunter decided to stand beside Gwendal instead. Yuuri sighed in relief, "I was just going to ask if you have seen Wolfram? I can't find him anywhere." The two Mazoku's both nodded in the negative.

"Yozak said he saw him in the stables earlier, looks like he went out for a ride," Conrad said as he joined Yuuri at the door. "That was hours ago, it's getting a bit late, shouldn't we be sending someone to look for him?" Yuuri asked, hoping against hope that his suggestion would appeal to the brothers' overprotective side. "Wolfram's one of the best soldiers we have, he can take care of himself," Gwendal replied.

"But," Yuuri started to protest when Gunter placed a hand on his shoulder, "He can take care of himself, while you on the other hand should be preparing for our History lesson." Gunter's eyes sparkled mischievously as he dragged the protesting Maoh towards the study. Conrad and Gwendal exchanged knowing looks, _'There is still hope after all little brother, just hold on a little longer,'_ Gwendal thought as he looked outside the window, a wrinkle creasing his forehead when he realized that it is getting a bit late for Wolfram to be outside the castle.

* * *

That evening…

It was already dinnertime, everything seems normal except for Yuuri picking on his food. Conrad wasn't sure why but he has a feeling it has something to do with the empty chair beside him. He can understand how the king feels, it's really late and Wolfram hasn't gone back to the castle. Gwendal already ordered Yozak to look for the blond Mazoku.

"Yuuri," a worried voice broke Conrad from his reveries. He saw Yuuri look at Greta with reassuring eyes. "He'll be back, he just probably lost track of time," he heard Yuuri tell Greta, but Conrad cannot help but sense that Yuuri doesn't seem to believe his own words.

Silence.

Gunter sighed, it's really nice to see Yuuri showing concern towards his bratty fiancée but it's also unnerving waiting for Wolfram to arrive. He sometimes cannot comprehend why the prince does these things, but he cannot entirely blame him. Wolfram had changed a lot since Yuuri arrived; he had learned to care about the people around him. He learned to accept Conrad as his brother and show concern about the plight of humans, whether they side with Shin Makoku or not. But sometimes, like today, he just acts rashly which make the people around him worry about his safety.

He looked at his husband whose frown seemed to have deepened; he reached for his hand and smiled at him. He felt Gwendal relax a bit. The door to the dining hall opened and Yozak walked in. He bowed at everyone before announcing, "Lord Wolfram has already arrived and asked me to inform you that he will not be joining you for dinner. He asked Doria to bring his dinner to his room."

Almost everyone on the dinner table sighed in relief, except for Yuuri. "Doria," Yuuri said in a dangerously low tone. The maid stopped on her tracks and turned to face her king. "Tell Wolfram that if he wants to eat dinner, he needs to join us here, else he will not get dinner at all." Everyone gasped at the command; Yuuri raised his head and glared at everyone, as if daring them to defy his words. Much to everyone's surprise, not even Gwendal protested. Doria bowed and was about to go out when they heard a voice from the door say, "No need to tell me Doria, I heard everything," he bowed low before Yuuri, "Forgive me Heika, but I am not in the mood to eat dinner tonight, I'll be in my room should you need me."

The people sitting on the dinner table looked at each other nervously, at the Maoh and at the retreating blond. "Fine!" Yuuri shouted angrily. "If you want to starve yourself to death do so! I won't care!" Everyone gasped at the remark, the blond prince stopped in his tracks. He turned around and looked Yuuri in the eye, he smiled bitterly, "That's just it Yuuri, you never cared."

Yuuri was dumbstruck. He has never heard Wolfram say those words with such bitterness and pain in his eyes. _'No! That's not what I really mean,'_ Yuuri thought to himself as he saw Wolfram leave the dining hall. Yuuri felt a hand touch his shoulder, he looked up to see that it was Gunter. "There goes your prize, are you just going to let it walk away?" he asked the young king. "A prize once lost Heika, is hard to recover, or worse."

That made Yuuri stand up and follow the blond Mazoku. _'Keep my eyes on the prize,'_ Yuuri thought as he followed Wolfram. "Wolfram!" Yuuri yelled at the blond prince, but the Mazoku doesn't seem to hear him. "Wolfram! Wait!" Yuuri shouted once more, but it seems like the Mazoku is determined not to listen to him. Yuuri stopped, Wolfram left him no choice. "Wolfram von Bielefield! Stop right this instant, that's an order!" That made the prince stop; he cannot disobey a direct order. Yuuri smiled as he walked towards the blond. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said earlier," Yuuri said as soon as he reached Wolfram's side.

Wolfram looked at the king, "It was nothing," he replied. "Do you need to say anything else? Coz if there isn't anything else, I would like to rest, Heika."

"Why are you doing this Wolfram?" Yuuri asked angrily. Wolfram looked at him quizzically, "Doing what Heika?"

"This! You've been avoiding me this past month!" Yuuri replied; Wolfram raised an eyebrow. "I'm not; I'm just busy with training, with the threat of war, we have to be ready," he replied.

"Yeah right, too busy you don't even have time to play with Greta," Yuuri retorted. Wolfram smiled cryptically, "I never forget my responsibilities with my daughter."

Yuuri stopped, that did make sense, and he always sees them together. "Well, ano, you never have time for me anymore," he whispered softly, which surely got the blond's attention. "Why should I?"

Yuuri's head shot up, "Well, if you need to remember I am your fiancé and I do require a little attention!" Wolfram's eyes widened in surprise, did Yuuri just call him his fiancé? "Your fiancée?" he asked the young king, eyes hopeful. _'Ooops! That didn't come out right,'_ Yuuri thought, he laughed nervously, "I mean, everyone knows it's an accident, but still, you're my FRIEND," he explained, "Friends spend time with each other you know."

Wolfram sighed, "Friends huh?" He looked outside, the moon is shining bright. _'It's now or never, Wolfram,'_ he thought, _'leave while you can still mend or stay and be broken.'_ Yuuri looked outside as well, trying to figure out the thoughts running on the blond prince's head. Out of the corner of his eye, Wolfram studied Yuuri's profile, memorizing each detail. "We can never be more than friends, right?" Wolfram asked.

Yuuri was surprised by the question, "It's not like…" But Wolfram silenced him, "The only answer I require is a yes or no."

Silence. Yuuri does not know how to answer, not trusting himself to speak. He cares for the Mazoku, he feels something more than friendship, heck, and he might even love him. But his mind is giving him warning signs that what he feels is wrong. He does not really know what to do; all he knows is that if he loses sight of this golden haired prince, he will go crazy.

Wolfram sighed, "I knew it," he faced the black haired boy and said, "I will leave for the Bielefield land first thing tomorrow, take care of yourself while I am gone Heika." He stepped forward and gave Yuuri a hug full of warmth and love. Yuuri welcomed the hug as it soothed his confused being, but he stiffened when he heard Wolfram whisper, "Enjoy your new freedom, Yuuri." He felt Wolfram break away from the hug and walk away from him.

It took sometime before Yuuri realized what Wolfram whispered earlier. "Freedom?" he shouted after him, "Just what do you mean by that?"

"I am breaking off our engagement, the dissolution I wrote two months ago still stands and will be duly acknowledge," Wolfram replied as he continued to walk. "It was never reinstated anyway, you chose not to."

"I never accepted the dissolution!" Yuuri called trying to make Wolfram stop, again the blond prince still continued to move away from him. Yuuri never felt so distressed and desperate in his whole life, he felt the warmth slowly leaving his senses as he looked at Wolfram's retreating figure. _'No!'_ he thought to himself, _'This is not happening, he can't leave me! I, I…'_

"You can't break off the engagement Wolfram!" Yuuri shouted at his fiancée. "I love you!"

Wolfram stopped in his tracks, he felt his heart beat fast. _'He just said what I wanted to hear,'_ he thought happily, _'But is that how he really feels?'_ The prince sighed deeply and gathered all the courage he can get. He turned around sharply and closed the distance between Yuuri and himself in four long strides and grabbed Yuuri's face with both hand, aiming to seal the distance with a kiss. He felt Yuuri take two steps back involuntarily when he grabbed him and saw the flicker of surprise and panic passed through the Maoh's eyes before they shut close.

Yuuri can feel Wolfram's breath and his mix as the blond prince's lips started to move towards his own. He felt a mixture of excitement and panic while he waited for their lips to touch, Wolfram's lips is just a hair's breath away from his when he felt Wolfram stop. Still he waited but the kiss never happened, he slowly opened his eyes and saw green eyes staring at him with sadness.

"You tell me that you love me, but you cannot accept my kiss without hesitation and fear," Wolfram stated. Yuuri looked at him sadly, it was his fault, he admits. It's just that there are some things that his mind cannot accept yet.

Wolfram let go of Yuuri, the king tried to reach out for him but Wolfram's eyes stopped him. "Don't," the young prince pleaded. "As long as you take a step backward whenever I move towards you, do not attempt to touch me. I do not need your pity. Don't tell me you love me when you cannot even fathom the reality that with your love come certain needs that might be repulsing on your end."

"Wolfram, I…"

"Please stop," Wolfram took a deep breath trying to stop the tears that threaten to fall. "It will do you no good."

"I don't want to lose you," Yuuri finally managed to say.

"You're not losing me. Just think of me having a vacation for a while." The blond prince smiled at him, "Look deep into your heart Yuuri for what you really feel, when the time comes that you find it within your soul to accept my actions without taking a step backward… find me."

Wolfram smiled at him, once again he was amazed at the calming effect that smile always does to him. "Take care of Greta, Heika," Wolfram bowed once again and turned to leave.

Yuuri's shoulders collapsed in defeat, he cannot simply order Wolfram to stay for his own selfish reasons. He had hurt the prince long enough; it's about time to give him some reprieve. Yuuri looked at direction Wolfram was trudging on until he can no longer see the fire-wielder; he turned around to find comfort in his empty bedroom. He dropped himself on his bed, and for the first time in his life, Yuuri knew what it felt like to lose a battle.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: I am sorry it took so long to update. I am stuck with work and had to sneak in typing this story when my boss in not around lol. This is the longest chapter I have written so far. I LOVED reading all your reviews so keep them coming please! **_

_**Pikeebo: Your analogy is deep, Yuuri is prejudiced because it's the Earth beliefs so we cannot really blame him. But I think he's slowly learning to accept everything.**_

_**AngelSachiya: Yes I am reading this (wink, wink). The anime did not really show that part, it was just mentioned by Conrad (snuck on the luggage compartment or something) on Episode 4 of Season 1 if I remembered it correctly. And oh, Wolfram did pop out of the closet in that episode when he was saving Yuuri from the pirates.**_

_**Snowywhite: I demand more punishments for Yuuri as well, believe me I will punish him more lol. I watch Season 3 in **__**, hope this helps (",)**_

_**Eclst: Thanks for the review! I never thought this was deep, more on the verge of sappy for me because I want Yuuri to suffer lol**_

_**BlaiseAchilleas: Thanks for liking this story, I will try to update as much as I can.**_

_**Panda: I like the way you think, read on (wink, wink)**_

_**Morena Evensong: I really, really appreciate your review! Thanks for the comment, I must admit, my grammar is pretty messed up. I'll be more cautious on the next chapters. Arigato!**_

_**Finally, can anyone enlighten me on how the beta-reader thingy works? I've been on hiatus from for almost two years or so, so I'm kinda confused. My cousin used to beta-read for me but alas, her present schedule won't permit her to do so now. Any suggestion would be appreciated. Arigato!**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kyou Kara Maou aside from new characters I introduce in this fic, so please don't sue me! ******

_**  
Chapter 4**_

It was morning, rays of the sun peeked through the curtains of Wolfram's bedroom, waking the young prince. He yawned a little and got up from bed. He sighed, today is his last day at Blood Pledge Castle, all the things and people he had grown to love he will be leaving behind, all for the sake of sanity. He can't help but smile as he replayed the events that occurred yesterday, particularly last night. Had he been weak, he would have grabbed on to Yuuri and kissed him senseless. But he isn't like that, he's no coward. He already sacrificed a lot for the sake of the king; it's about time he learned to give himself a little love.

The door to his bedroom opened, he turned around to see his mother Lady Celi walk in accompanied by his two older brothers and his brother-in-law. "Are you sure about this Wolfie?" Lady Celi asked her youngest son.

"Yes Mother, my decision is final," he replied. He heard Gwendal snort while Gunter sniffed a little, the lavender haired man is obviously trying to stop himself from crying. It's this one time that Wolfram appreciated Gunter's weird gestures. Lady Celi sighed, "I guess I can't stop you." She went over to Wolfram and hugged him affectionately without suffocating him. "You do take after me Wolfie… don't forget to visit okay?"

Wolfram returned the hug, "Of course I won't. Do try to visit me when you have time as well." Lady Celi nodded, gave her youngest son a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.

'_One down,'_ Wolfram thought. He looked at Gwendal and Gunter and smiled. The couple moved towards him, Gunter gave him an affectionate hug while Gwendal patted his back. "Do remember Wolfram, you are still a prince, no matter where you may be, this castle will always be your home," Gwendal reminded. Wolfram nodded, "Alright, breakfast will soon be served," Gunter said, "Try to drop by and join us before you leave ne?"

"I'll try," he replied as the couple walked out. He sighed, _'That's three'._ He looked over his shoulder and saw Conrad still standing a few feet away from him. He tilted his head and smiled at his brother, "What are you doing there Conrad?" The brown haired soldier cleared his throat, "Be careful on your journey. If you need help in any way…" Conrad's voice trailed off when he saw Wolfram approach him stopping just a few inches from him. "Ah well," Conrad gulped, "Have a safe journey I guess."

Wolfram laughed, "What kind of goodbye is that?" He opened his arms and said, "Come and give your baby brother a hug, Anuie," Conrad was shocked; the expression on his face unreadable, Wolfram shook his head and took the first step. He enveloped Conrad in his warm embrace; he felt his brother relax and returned the hug. "Do you really have to go?" Conrad whispered. Wolfram nodded and broke the embrace. "Even after Yuuri admitted his feelings towards you?"

"Yes," Wolfram replied. He faced his brother, funny, he never thought that it will be Conrad who would understand his feelings the most. He never thought that with all the stupid things and disrespectful words he hurled at the half-Mazoku; Conrad would still be there to comfort him. "I have to, for the greater good."

Conrad nodded, he never expected his brother to heed his advice, but he was happy that the young prince considered his words. "You still love Yuuri," he stated more than asked.

"It will be hard to forget, but I am doing the right thing," he smiled. "Besides, I think it's about time I give myself a little love. You know, think about what I can do for others instead of just following Yuuri."

"I guess it is worth the sacrifice huh?" Conrad asked, the blond prince nodded, "It is."

Conrad sighed, he hugged his brother once more and whispered, "Yuuri will be really devastated," he held Wolfram at an arm's length and looked him straight in the eye. "You do know that Yuuri will never let you go just like that, he may let you leave the palace but he will never make you forget that you were once his. He will do everything in his power to get you back right?"

Wolfram gave Conrad a boyish smile, then smirked, "Who says you can't have fun while doing the right thing?"

Conrad laughed, Yuuri may not be aware but it seems like Wolfram might turn out to be better at baseball than him. Unlike Yuuri, Wolfram got all his bases covered.

* * *

Yuuri can't help but feel that he had let everyone down. They were having breakfast and the usual lively chatter in the dining room is missing. Gwendal hardly talked to him, which is not unusual but Gunter being unusually quiet is definitely not normal. Lady Celi was just eating peacefully and not informing every one of the developments of her latest quest, even Conrad's smile does not seem to reach his eyes, and Greta, heavens! His eleven year old daughter is ignoring him.

Silence, this is beginning to look like last night's dinner. He swears he can almost see Yozak barging through the door announcing that Wolfram won't be able to join them for breakfast. _'Wolfram!'_ his mind screamed. Just then the doors to the dining hall opened and Yozak went in. He bowed at everyone and went towards Gwendal.

"Wolfram!" Yuuri shouted, standing up from his seat. "Where is he?"

Everyone on the table remained silent. It seems like no one wants the king to know where the prince is. Yozak sighed, _'These nobles are a bunch of whacks!'_ The orange haired warrior turned to his king, "I believe he is outside, getting ready for the journey."

'_He's leaving without saying goodbye!'_ Yuuri thought angrily as he ran outside the castle towards Wolfram's private army. "Wolfram!" he shouted as he walked down the castle steps. He saw a group of people riding in horses and carriage moving towards the castle gates. Without stopping to think, Yuuri grabbed the horse nearest him, lucky for him it was Conrad's horse and sped off after them. Dorcascos too stunned and surprised at the turn of events merely scratched his head as he muttered, "How am I going to tell Lord Weller about this?" With a defeated sigh, he walked towards the castle to report the incident.

* * *

Yuuri is trying his best to follow, but it seems like the party is in a hurry to leave. He was left with no other option. "Stop!! In the name of Shin Makoku! I, Yuuri Shibuya, the 27th Maoh, command you to stop!" He shouted at his most commanding and loudest voice, the riders abruptly stopped. Yuuri smiled as he quickened his pace, _'Words are really mightier than the sword,'_ he thought but it doesn't sound right. _'Or something like that.'_

When he finally reached the party, he was surprised at the scene before him. There were riders and carriages and market goods, but none of the questioning eyes staring back at him belong to Wolfram. The leader of the pack asked, "Heika, is there something you wanted to tell us?"

Yuuri blushed, "Ahm, I'm sorry, I just wanted to…ahm, give you my blessings for a safe trip," he finished, hoping against hope that the suggestion does not sound the least bit weird. Everyone smiled and thanked the Maoh for his kindness before they continued on their journey. The Maoh on the other hand had never felt so embarrassed in his whole life. With no other choice left, Yuuri steered the horse back towards the castle's direction.

Meanwhile, a group of nobles and commoners are gathered at the castle's main door. As Yuuri's luck would have it, these group of people are gathered to say their goodbyes to the person that the Maoh had been looking for earlier, Wolfram. The blond prince walked towards his horse and saw Dorcascos tending Conrad's horse, which looked a little tired. The soldier bowed at the prince and waved, Wolfram nodded in acknowledgement.

Wolfram looked at the castle one last time, hoping to see Yuuri emerge from the castle doors, but it remained empty. He looked at the people in front of him, his mother, brothers and friends. His eyes stopped at his adopted daughter Greta, who was trying so hard to fight her tears from falling. Wolfram walked towards his little girl and hugged her, he whispered, "Its okay to cry Greta, Papa won't be angry at you." At those words, Greta let the tears fall. "It's not fair Papa, it's not fair!" she whimpered, clutching on to Wolfram's clothes tightly, never wanting to let go. Conrad felt his eyes getting misty at the scene; he looked at the people beside him and saw that most of them are crying.

The prince did not let go until Greta's sobs subsided, he then took her small angelic face into his hands and wiped away the tears. "Smile for me Princess, I want to see you smile." The little girl tried her best to smile, Wolfram's heart tugged at the thought of never seeing that smile again. "Can I visit you Papa?" Greta asked, Wolfram nodded, "Of course you may Princess, I'll be looking forward to your visits."

Greta smiled happily, "I promise to visit you often. Promise you'll visit me as well?" Greta asked, holding her pinky finger up, Wolfram nodded and clasped her pinky finger with his own. "I promise," he replied, pulling his daughter again in a hug. This time, Lady Celi, Conrad, Gwendal and Gunter enveloped the two in a group hug. Tears fell freely on everyone's eyes. When they thought that they can cry no more, they released Wolfram from their embrace. Wolfram got on to his horse, and without making a backward glance rode towards his new life.

Yuuri saw everything from his position, he whistled and Kohi brought him down just outside the castle gate. He leaned on the wall as he waited for Wolfram's party to cross the gate. Knowing his fiancée well, he knows that the blond prince would stop for a moment before totally leaving the palace. Replaying the events he saw earlier, he can't help but feel sad at the thought that he is the reason behind everyone's tears. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hooves coming to a halt. He saw Wolfram look back at the castle and sighed, Yuuri's heart constricted in pain at the possibility of not seeing the Mazoku for a long time.

He saw Wolfram sighed and signaled for his men to resume their journey, _'It's now or never,'_ Yuuri thought as he took a step to reveal himself, "So you're leaving without saying goodbye huh?" He asked aloud causing Wolfram to stop in surprise and pull on his horse's reins a little too hard. The white horse, unaccustomed to such unsure actions from his master became frantic and bucked. Wolfram fought to keep himself from falling but it was too late. The shouts from his men and Yuuri frightened the horse more; Wolfram lost his grip on the reins and felt himself fall.

Yuuri didn't know where the strength and speed came from, but wherever it did, he was happy he moved fast enough to catch Wolfram. His heart was beating so fast that he thought he's going to faint. Wolfram slowly opened his eyes, his heart like Yuuri's is beating so fast and he is certain it wasn't due to the accident. He is a hundred percent certain that the fast heartbeat is due to the person currently holding him in his arms. Yuuri sighed in relief when Wolfram opened his eyes, "Are you alright?" He asked while helping the prince stand up. Wolfram nodded.

"Good," Yuuri exclaimed, "coz I need to tell you something and I need you to be sane and not traumatized." Wolfram looked at Yuuri quizzically; the double black king smiled goofily and turned to Wolfram's private army. "I would need to borrow your commander for a while," Yuuri said before taking Wolfram's hand and pulled him hastily into an area where they could talk in private.

Yuuri stopped when he was certain that they were out of eyesight and earshot. He turned around and faced Wolfram. Silence ruled the air as the two men looked at each other. After a few moments, Yuuri raised his right hand as if he were going to slap Wolfram's left cheek. The blond prince closed his eyes as he prepared himself for the sting but none came, instead, he felt Yuuri's right hand caress his left cheek lovingly. Wolfram opened his eyes, his green eyes full of question as he met the Maou's loving gaze.

Yuuri smiled and said, "I wish I could fix everything with a simple slap, but I can't." He pulled Wolfram close and enveloped him in his arms. "I have been hurting you for the past years and I think that is enough, you deserve better." Wolfram sighed, letting Yuuri's warmth envelope his aching heart. "But that doesn't mean I cannot do anything to heal the wounds I have caused," Yuuri continued.

Wolfram felt Yuuri sigh deeply as if trying to stop himself from crying. "Forgive this stupid wimp for being insensitive and dense. I will prove to you that I can be worthy of your love Wolf, just you wait," he held Wolfram at an arm's length and looked him straight in the eye. "I am a mess right now, but I will eventually fix it. In time, we'll be moving towards the same direction, no more stepping back," Yuuri stated with conviction. "When that time comes, I will look for you."

Wolfram smiled, it wasn't a lot, it might take a long time but it was a start. "I am keeping my eyes on the prize Wolf," Yuuri said, "it is not yet lost, so you better take care of yourself." Yuuri took a step forward and planted a chaste kiss on the blond prince's forehead. Wolfram shivered a little at the gesture, it took all his willpower to turn around and mutter his goodbye to the king.

Yuuri smiled at Wolfram's discomfort. He heard Wolfram mutter a soft goodbye before walking away from him. "Hey Wolfram," Yuuri called after the prince, Wolfram stopped walking. "No goodbyes Wolfram only see you later."

The blond prince did not reply, instead he continued walking towards his private army, a small smile painted on his face as he repeated the promise that the young king made, _'No goodbyes Yuuri, only see you later.'_

* * *

Yuuri yawned as he placed his seal on the last document on the pile that Gwendal gave earlier. He massaged his neck and slowly exercised his aching hand. He had finished his Maoh duties early due to no interruptions. He smiled as he looked outside the window, everyone in Blood Pledge is busy at the moment, preparing for Greta's coming of age party. Gunter and Lady Celi took it upon themselves to organize the event, knowing full well that Yuuri cannot be trusted with such responsibilities.

He laughed a little as he remembered seeing Gunter looking like a drill sergeant, ordering the maids and soldiers helping out with the decorations. He looked a lot scarier than Gwendal when he's busy and frantic. He remembered that he tried to crack a joke earlier but was reprimanded by the lavender haired advisor.

Yuuri shook his head at the memory and stood up. Five years have already passed after Wolfram left for the Bielefield lands. Five long years since he last saw the blond Mazoku, five long freaking years! Yuuri sighed; with the ongoing war against Big Shimaron he never had the chance to visit Wolfram. His Maoh duties deterred him from enjoying such luxuries. The only news he had regarding the Mazoku came from Greta and Lady Celi, who never failed to visit the blond prince whenever they have the chance.

According to the two, Wolfram hasn't changed much appearance wise, but he's matured a lot since leaving the castle and taking over his family's territories. Greta never failed to update Yuuri of her visits to her other father. He heard that Wolfram is well-loved by his constituents, nobles and commoners alike. The prince has also taken it upon himself to build alliances with other nations close to his territories in order to help Yuuri maintain the peace within the Demon Kingdom. Gunter even praised the blond prince's diplomatic skills.

However, not all news is happy. He remembered one night three years ago, Greta went back to Blood Pledge Castle after three days of just visiting Wolfram. The girl was frantic and crying. Yuuri comforted his daughter and asked her why she suddenly cut her visit short. Greta explained that Wolfram sent her home to ensure her safety.

According to her, one of the border countries under Wolfram's command was attacked by Big Shimaron. The small country needed its master's help that's why Wolfram decided to lead the battle personally. He also sent a pigeon mail to Gwendal for reinforcements. Yuuri remembered how scared and worried he was for Wolfram that day. He felt as if his heart plummeted to his feet. It did not help that Gwendal led the reinforcements for the Bielefield lands, it only made things worse than it looked like. The attack lasted for almost three days, Yuuri feared the worst. News that were coming to the palace are almost the same, that Wolfram's army was outnumbered and that the small country was totally devastated.

Yuuri's fear for his beloved's safety was extinguished when he saw Gwendal's army return to the castle. He was so anxious to know what happened to the blond prince that he managed to outrun Gunter in welcoming Gwendal back. Never mind that he looked really stupid and pathetic as long as he knew Wolfram's current state. Yuuri can still remember how he sighed in relief and hugged Gwendal for the good news he had brought back. They were able to drive the enemies away; Wolfram is alright with just a few scratches.

The victory that the Bielefield heir brought for the country on that year increased the number of human and Mazoku ruled countries vying for an alliance with Shin Makoku. The promise of security and devotion that the blond prince had shown for those under his care made the other countries realize that they can count on the Demon Kingdom in their most trying times.

'_Five years,'_ he smirked, _'who would have thought that Little Lord Brat would become Mr. Congeniality during those five years?'_ His hand grabbed the scroll that came from the Bielefield lands. It was Wolfram's letter to Greta promising her that he will definitely attend her coming of age party. "Five years," Yuuri smiled as he picked up the framed photograph on his table. The photo was taken by his mother when they went to Earth to retrieve one of the forbidden boxes. His gaze lingered on the snotty blond prince giving him a headlock, "I think we waited long enough, Wolfram."

* * *

The party is in full swing, almost every noble in Shin Makoku and its allied countries graced the occasion with their presence. Everywhere Yuuri turned; people are greeting him or talking to him. Members of his family from Earth are present as well. Yuuri sighed as he took a seat. Everyone turned up for the occasion except for the one person he was looking forward to see once more.

Conrad grinned when saw his godson looking at the castle doors for the twentieth time. He knows that Yuuri is still waiting for his brother to arrive and he also knew that said brother will be late, but he chose not to tell him. A hand tapped onto his shoulder, he turned around and saw Yozak.

"What's the count?" the orange haired warrior asked.

"Twenty," Conrad replied. Yozak grinned, "He's anxious to see him huh?"

Conrad was about to reply when he saw Greta stand up from her seat and walked towards Yuuri. She whispered something in his ear that made the king brighten up and stand. Yuuri offered his arm to his daughter and they started to walk towards the castle's main door.

"I bet you twenty pieces of gold, Yuuri's gonna faint,' Yozak challenged his friend. Conrad laughed, "Make it 30, I know he won't." Yozak and Conrad grinned as they followed the pair.

Meanwhile, Yuuri's hands are shaking, his insides a mixture of butterflies and clouds. He is shivering from delight and anxiety as he waited for Wolfram's carriage to arrive. Greta gave her father a light pat in the back, "You look great Daddy, don't worry." Yuuri smiled at his daughter gratefully as Wolfram's carriage stopped in front of the castle steps. One of the soldiers approached the carriage and opened the door. Yuuri unconsciously held his breathe as the blond prince emerged from the carriage, dressed in an immaculate white pants/polo attire and blue trench coat.

"Wolfram," he said softly as he nervously took a step forward to greet the dashing newcomer. Yuuri let his eyes roam freely at the ethereal being in front of him and took note of the changes in his beloved. Wolfram's height didn't change much, Yuuri is proud to say that he is now taller than the prince by almost 4 inches. His slight built has somewhat improved, with a few muscles filling at the right places perfectly and his emerald eyes shone with wisdom and maturity.

"Heika," Wolfram greeted Yuuri with a slight bow. "Yuuri, call me Yuuri," the king replied. The blond prince smiled. _'Oh how I missed that smile!'_ Yuuri thought to himself, he was about to usher Wolfram inside the castle when he saw another figure emerged from the carriage.

"Uncle Seth!" Greta exclaimed happily as she threw herself into the arms of a blue-eyed, light brown haired man who is as tall as Conrad. "Greta-hime," the newcomer smiled, "You're so beautiful."

"Thank you," Greta said then turned to Wolfram. "Is this the surprise you were talking about Papa? You never told me you're going to bring Uncle Seth with you?"

Wolfram laughed at his daughter's question. "No, this is not the surprise I'm talking about," he replied as he winked at Seth over his daughter's head. "Yup, I don't really qualify myself as a good surprise," Seth agreed, winking back.

The secret gestures between Wolfram and Seth were not lost on Yuuri. _'Who the heck is this guy?' _Yuuri thought angrily, _'How dare he wink at Wolfram like that!'_ Gunter sensed the king's anger and decided to step in. "Wolfram, you might want to introduce your companion to Heika," he suggested.

"Oh I'm sorry," Wolfram apologized, "Yuuri, may I introduce Sethridge von Crenshaw, my trusted advisor and childhood friend." Seth bowed, "It is an honor to finally meet you." Yuuri nodded slowly, _'Advisor and childhood friend.'_ His mind processed the information happily, he sighed in relief. "Why don't we all…" Yuuri started to say when another figure emerged from the carriage and attached itself to Wolfram.

Yuuri's felt a cold wave pass through his body as he saw Wolfram pat the figure's head and carry it in his arms affectionately. Greta squealed in delight as she took the burden from Wolfram's arms. Yuuri observed the figure in Greta's arms with a critical eye. It was a child who looks no more than 5 years of age, with wavy light brown hair fashioned after Wolfram's hairstyle.

Wolfram saw the king eyeing the child with interest. He smiled as he called Yuuri's attention, "Yuuri, I would like you to meet Rolf Alexandre von Bielefield."

Yuuri looked at Wolfram nervously, his brain flashed warning signs, "Von Bielefield?" Yuuri looked at the child once more, who looked at the Maoh back with big smiling emerald eyes, Yuuri suddenly forgot how to breathe. Wolfram nodded and looked at the child lovingly, "Yes, Rolf Alexandre von Bielefield, my son." Yuuri gasped, the words "My Son" repeating in his head as his world turned pitch dark.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: So sorry it took a long time to update, WORK got in the way of life and I simply can't do anything about it. It might take a while before I can post the next chapter but I will try my best to update as soon as possible. The next chapter is almost halfway done; I just wish my muses would stay with me longer._

_Marly: Karma is a really scary thing lol, too bad for Yuuri._

_Maiyr: I hope I haven't killed you yet…thanks for liking this one and I like your line of thought._

_Eve: Thanks for the review and the really great score you gave, glad you liked the baseball metaphor…hope you enjoy this chapter._

_Panda: Glad to know I can spoil someone with my writing (",) hope you like this chappie._

_YuuRamFan: Yup, Yozak is good at winning bets. I think the Rolf's name is really nice too, a variation of Wolfram's nickname. Hope you like this new chapter._

_Mel-mel: Thanks for liking this story, but I guess you still have to wait for a few more chapters before you can find out what happens to Rolf. So sorry!_

_And if you noticed, my personal replies are shorter coz I just figured out how the review reply works for signed reviews! (Yeah, yeah, I know stupid right?) This chapter is kinda short, coz I just wanted it to be a transition chapter thingy, nothing out of the ordinary, just something fun to write about. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations and if it sucks big time or does not make sense, please tell me okay?_

_Alright, standard disclaimer applies and please don't forget to leave a review._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Yuuri is having a good dream; he is standing on a field watching the sunset and a certain green-eyed angel is waving at him from a distance. He can also hear voices trying to call him back to the real world, but he choose to ignore it. He is still having a good time watching the scene before him that he wishes it will go on forever. He sighed contentedly and continued to ignore the voices until the strong odor of the smelling salts forced him to open his eyes.

"He's waking up." Yuuri heard Gisela's kind voice announced to everyone. She looked at him with kind eyes and asked, "How are you feeling Heika?" The young king looked back at the green-haired doctor with questioning eyes. Gisela smiled and explained, "You fainted earlier while welcoming Lord von Bielefield's party."

Yuuri nodded slowly as he remembered the event mentioned. His eyes scanned the room and realized that he is inside the infirmary. He looked at the two figures behind Gisela and immediately identified Yozak and Conrad. He was about to speak when the door to the infirmary opened and he found himself locked in Gunter's crazy embrace. "Heika! I was so worried about you earlier!" the crying lavender haired advisor declared as he continued to lock Yuuri in a death hug. Gwendal and the other occupants found the scene amusing and decided not to interrupt until they saw Yuuri turn blue from lack of oxygen. The first prince smirked before disentangling Yuuri from Gunter's death grip. The double black king uttered a soft "thank you" to Gwendal as he filled his lungs with air, to which Gwendal acknowledged with a nod.

On the other hand Gunter looked dazed, a side effect for being so near the young king. Gwendal sighed as he led his husband outside the room, they were almost at the door when Gwendal spoke, "I'll advice that Heika needs to rest for a while and will be joining the festivities later when he feels a little better." Yuuri nodded gratefully, Gwendal bowed and took his leave. Conrad stood from his seat and walked towards Yuuri. Sensing Yuuri and Conrad's unspoken request to be left alone, Yozak and Gisela excused themselves from the room.

A few minutes of silence passed before Yuuri mustered the courage to ask, "Conrad?" The brown haired prince looked at his godson and answered, "Wolfram got sidetracked by Mother and Miko-san as he carried you to the infirmary."

"I see," Yuuri replied before he realized that he never asked the question Conrad answered. Yuuri blushed and smiled goofily, "Am I that transparent or you just happen to know me well that I need not ask the question yet you can still give me the right answer?" Conrad chuckled at the question, "A little of both."

The double black king smiled at the man whom he considered his second father. "I was really looking forward to see him again," he confessed, Conrad nodded but remained silent. "I always thought, no I always imagined that when we finally get to see each other, we would you know, be okay… like nothing changed…" Yuuri continued in a soft voice, "I guess…" Yuuri sighed as he tried to stop the tears from falling.

Conrad looked at the young king with sad eyes before he spoke. "It happened eight years ago, a year had passed after you defeated Shoushou and you were on Earth. There is no guarantee you were coming back. During that time, a rumor reached Blood Pledge Castle that some members of the Ten Aristocrats were losing faith on the Maou's legacy. Therefore, the three of us and Mother decided to give Waltorona a visit." Conrad glanced at Yuuri, "It was during that visit that Wolfram and Selena crossed paths once more."

"Selena?" Yuuri asked softly. "Selena von Cambridge, she's the daughter of one of the lords under the Bielefield territories. She's also one of Wolfram's childhood friends," Conrad explained, Yuuri nodded in understanding. Conrad continued, "They say misery loves company, Wolfram was miserable and Selena kept him company."

Yuuri looked down, unsure of what to do. The way that his godfather relayed the events were simple and straightforward and it hurt him without meaning to. Conrad heard Yuuri sigh sadly, "Before we left, Waltorona hosted a ball, Wolfram got drunk…"

The young king's lips formed an "O" and his face turned scarlet at the thoughts running through his naughty little head. Conrad smiled at the play of emotions on the young king's face before he continued, "The morning after the ball, I was walking towards Wolfram's bedroom to wake him up. When I was about to open the door, Selena opened the door from the inside and walked out of the room. Nine months after, Selena died at childbirth. Wolfram was right beside her when she died; before she died she asked Wolfram to name the child after him…"

Conrad stopped talking and looked at Yuuri; he eyed the young king with interest. He saw Yuuri closed his eyes and took three deep breaths, "He cheated on me…" Yuuri smiled bitterly as tears fell from his eyes. "I guess its payback time huh?" Yuuri joked lamely.

The brown haired soldier remained silent. After a few minutes Conrad asked, "Does it matter?" Yuuri looked at Conrad in confusion. Conrad sighed before he asked once more, "Will it change things? Will it make you love him less?" Yuuri blinked and thought for a moment, a very long moment. He contemplated on Conrad's words, and searched within his heart for the answer. Conrad decided to leave Yuuri to his thoughts. He slowly stood up and walked towards the door. His hand was about to turn the knob when he heard Yuuri's answer.

"I've always kept my eyes on the prize, nothing will hinder me from claiming it," Yuuri declared as he stood up and joined Conrad at the door. "And if the prize is bundled with an added bonus, who am I decline?"

* * *

Sethridge von Crenshaw smirked at Wolfram from across the floor, the blond prince made a face at him as he was practically dragged from one place to another by Lady Celi and Heika's mother. He leaned on the balcony as he watched, amused at the patience of the fiery Mazoku. _'Better you than me,'_ he chuckled as the thought crossed his mind and his eyes scanned the room for Rolf. He smiled a little when he saw the young boy surrounded by Greta, Lady Annisina, Lord Gwendal, Lord Gunter, Geika, Wolfram's uncle Lord Waltorona and his younger brother Siegfred. Everyone's attention is focused on the young boy as he talked animatedly. He chuckled, _'No doubt, the little boy had all the adults wrapped in his cute little hands.'_

'_Myself included__,'_ he thought with a grin. Who wouldn't? The young boy exudes sunshine and life everywhere he goes; so much like someone they all know. He stole a glance towards Wolfram's direction and back at Rolf, he smiled at the similarities between the soldier and the young boy. The way they talk, smile, laugh and react at situations are almost the same. He can't help but smile as he remembered the way the stricken faces of the Maou's retainers changed into goofy grins as the young one asked, _"Did Heika forget to eat his breakfast?"_ after the Maou fainted.

"Oh well, blame the silly question on Wolfram," he said to himself. If it wasn't for his stupid alibi on his fainting act, the child would have asked a better question, like changing breakfast to dinner since it was already night time. He laughed aloud; a few people looked at him as if he's crazy. He blushed in embarassment. "Times like this I wish I were Rolf," he mumbled to himself, "beauty, charm and innocence, some people have all the luck in the world."

"I beg to disagree," a young man with long ash blond hair, beautiful amber eyes covered by lavender eyeglasses and a charming face surrounded with an air of mystery and innocence spoke behind him.

Seth smirked as he sized him up, "Have you looked into the mirror lately? Because if that face is the one staring back at my mirror everyday; I would not 'beg to disagree'."

The young man smiled in amusement, "Charming."

"Thank you, at least I have one good trait," he replied. "By the way, I am Sethridge von Crenshaw," extending his hand to the blond man. "Saralegui," the young man replied as he shook his hand.

Seth stiffened as he heard the name of the ruler of Small Shimaron, "Pleased to make your acquaintance Heika."

"No Lord von Crenshaw," Saralegui replied as he started to walk towards the ballroom, stopping for just a few seconds to whisper in his ear, "The pleasure is all mine." He felt a little shiver run down his spine as the amber eyed king smiled mysteriously and left him alone.

* * *

Yozak played with his glass of wine as he looked at the people inside the ballroom, his lips forming a smile as he found some scenes amusing. He was so lost in the events before him that he failed to noticed Conrad until the commander spoke.

"I don't like that smile, it looks like trouble."

"You don't have to like it, just look at it."

"Who says I'm looking?"

"Fine, fine, whatever," the spy smiled teasingly, "Wanna bet what this smile means?" he asked as his grin widened.

Conrad snorted before answering, "I bet 100 gold you find something amusing."

"Hey!" Yozak frowned, "No fair!"

The brown haired soldier laughed a little; looks like he'll be getting his losses back with additional profit. "So what do you find amusing?"

He grinned, "Well, there's this guy who looks like he wants to dance with another guy but then a girl close to him beat him to it. So he just… hey, isn't that Siegfred? Seth's younger brother?"

Conrad rolled his eyes and stood up, "I don't have time for this."

"You're killing the fun," he pouted, but his friend choose to ignore him. He sighed in defeat, "Alright, alright, I'll tell you." Conrad stopped and turned around to face him; he crossed his arms in front of his chest as if to say "I'm waiting."

"Don't you find it amusing and frustrating that whenever you want to dance with someone, somebody always and I mean always beats you to it and you cannot do anything about it?"

Conrad raised an eyebrow, confused at the question Yozak posted. Instead of explaining, the spy grabbed him and ran towards the direction of the buffet table. He was surprised when he found himself flat on the wall, hidden behind the big castle drapes.

He looked at the orange haired warrior beside him and hissed, "What in Shinou's name are we doing hiding behind curtains like spies in OUR castle?"

"Shhh!" Yozak silenced him, "You'll never make a good spy if you keep on making noises."

Conrad rolled his eyes in disbelief. "I think that's the reason why I'm captain and you're the spy." Yozak grinned at him, "I agree."

"So what the heck are we doing?" he asked once more. Yozak eyes sparkled in mischief, "Well, I just thought you'd find this romantic…"

He gulped loudly, he didn't like the underlying message his friend's tone implied. Yozak could barely hold his laughter as he tried to imagine the thoughts running through his friend's mind right now. However, he composed himself as he heard Yuuri's voice greet Wolfram a few feet away from them. He pulled out a small dagger and made two holes on the curtain, big enough for him and Conrad to peep into.

"So this is what spies do? Create holes on centuries old curtains to do some peeping?" Conrad commented as Yozak returned his dagger in its place. "You're ruining our disguise. Besides, a spy needs to be resourceful in order to do his job, and right now, you are lucky to experience this with me!"

"How exciting," Conrad said with huge helpings of sarcasm. "If you'd just stop yapping and take a look, you'll understand," Yozak countered. Conrad snorted once more, "I am not a peeping Tom."

"Huh?" Yozak asked, confused. "I am not peeping, this is a matter of national security and last I checked your name's Conrad, not Tom." It took all of the captain's willpower to stifle his laughter. He was about to explain when he heard two familiar voices conversing not too far from them. His curiosity got the better of him and he took a peek at the hole. He saw Yuuri standing in front of a weary Wolfram.

"So how was the dance?" he heard Yuuri asked Wolfram. He saw Wolfram cringed a little before he answered, "Please don't mention that word again." Yuuri laughed a little but the disappointment in his voice was not lost on the captain, "That bad huh?"

He saw Wolfram nod, "I don't think I can stand anymore, my feet hurts from all those twirling and stepping and crappy dancing. Don't get me wrong though, I loved dancing with them, just that I do need to rest you know."

Conrad sighed sadly as he saw Yuuri nod in understanding. He can feel the young king's sadness and frustration from his hiding place. _'Poor Yuuri,'_ he thought as he continued to watched the two boys from his position. A few minutes of silence had passed before Wolfram made a move to stand up and Yuuri was quick to lend a hand. He saw Wolfram smiled at the king before he spoke, "I would like to retire for the night Heika."

"Yuuri, call me Yuuri," the black king muttered as he stood up. "Would you like me to accompany you to your room?" he offered but Wolfram shook his head. "No need, I can manage," Wolfram declined, he bowed before he turned to leave. Conrad felt sorry for the king when he saw Yuuri's shoulders slouched in disappointment as he watched Wolfram walked away from him. However, he was surprised when he saw his brother stopped and asked, "Have you been practicing?"

Yuuri eyed the blond prince quizzically. Wolfram smiled and continued, "Dancing." Conrad saw Yuuri's face broke into a grin as realization dawned on him. The young king squared his shoulders and replied confidently, "Last I heard, I'm one of the best dancers in the castle. I can teach you some moves if you like."

The blond prince smiled, "I'd like that, until then… Yuuri."

Conrad and Yozak had goofy smiles on their faces as they watched the king and Wolfram part ways. "Seemed like some things never change huh?" Yozak asked his friend. "Uh-huh," Conrad agreed, unconsciously he reached out for Yozak's hand. The spy grinned; his eyes darted at their joined hands. He felt Conrad tugged a little at their joined hands, he looked at him quizzically. "Come on," Conrad urged his friend as he pulled him out of their hiding place he failed to notice the soft blush on the spy's face.

"Where are we going?" he asked. Conrad grinned at him, "As the head of Heika's royal bodyguards I have every right to be a part of this "matter of national security" you were talking about earlier."

Yozak laughed, "Alright Captain, lead the way!"

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: I'm back!! Sorry for the really long wait. This chapter is not yet beta read so if there are any grammar misses and some characters seemed a little OOC, please bear with me. I'll update this chapter to make it more readable once I receive the beta-read version. Oh and this is probably the longest chapter I wrote. Also I might not be able to update much as things are really crazy right now but I promise to finish this story.  
_

_Much love and thanks to red-rose-of-love for agreeing(is there such a word?) to be my beta!_

_For those who reviewed my past chapter thanks so much! I hope I was able to reply to all those signed reviews, and for those unsigned reviewers, read on!_

_no name: Thanks for the review, glad to know I was able to let you feel my character's emotions._

_YuuRamLover: Glad you liked the Yozak and Conrad moments, i have to say that's my favorite part in that chapter as well. Thanks for the review._

_lovlee: Thanks for the review, and no, your English is not bad! Hope you like this new chapter._

_As always, if you have time please leave a review, it helps me a lot in developing this little story of mine. Thanks!_

**Standard disclaimer applies, I don't make any money out of this so please don't sue me (",)**

_On with the chapter._

* * *

**Chapter 6  
**

* * *

Yuuri woke up with a grin plastered on his handsome face. He slowly stood up from the bed; he hummed a happy tune as he recalled the events from last night's party. He grinned goofily as he remembered the promise Wolfram gave last night. He slowly glanced at the other side of the bed that once belonged to the blond. He smiled as he walked over to the side of the bed which had been devoid of an occupant for the past five years.

He picked up the pillow and hugged it as he inhaled the faint scent of its previous owner. It had always been a mystery to him how the pillow managed to retain Wolfram's scent despite the years of washing the maids subjected it to. Whatever the reason is, he is quite happy about it as it helped ease the painful longing in his heart.

He sighed as he reluctantly returned the pillow back in its place. Gunter would arrive any minute now and it would be really awkward for the advisor to see him making out with a pillow as the end result for the lavender haired man always include a trip to the infirmary. He patted the empty side of the bed and smiled wistfully. "Soon," he whispered, "you won't be cold anymore."

* * *

Saralegui sighed as he watched the small group of people gathered in the garden from his position in the balcony. They were having a small picnic of sorts, some of the adults acted like kids while the brown haired child laughed at their antics. He sighed once more, in all of his 22 years of living in this world he had never seen such a rowdy bunch of nobles and it was...depressing; yet interesting at the same time.

These nobles of Shin Makoku, how they manage to stay happy despite the impending threat of war, he may never know the reason. Or maybe he does? He gazed at the horizon as he pondered on his miserable situation. All his sheltered life spent within the protected walls of his castle in Shou Shimaron, the young king had always been proud of his achievements. He ascended the throne when he was fifteen years old and managed to rule his country in a relatively peaceful way. Yes, there were small conflicts but never a war that threatened to wipe a race. Yes, he always thought he was a great king, until Yuuri came along. The young Maou stopped and prevented a war, created alliances and UNITED the humans and Mazokus...and he came from another world. He had achieved what his predecessors cannot and he never had formal training, and in Saralegui's opinion these acts do not fall short of the word great. No scratch that, make it excellent.

_'Oh well,' _Saralegui thought, he sighed once more as he heard a familiar voice relating weird yet unmistakably sagely words that always left him awestruck for a while. He frowned as he remembered another reason for his misery. He had always thought himself wise beyond his years, but when he met Murata Ken, the Great Sage's reincarnation, he knew he had been fooling himself all along. Who could compete with more than four thousand years of wisdom? Not him for sure.

"Rolf! Be careful!" A stern voice broke his reveries. He focused his attention to the owner of the voice and his breathing hitched a little. Wolfram von Bielefeld looked absolutely...beautiful. The prince's clothing ensemble is simple; black trousers, long sleeved white polo topped with a dark blue chaleco and a simple white cravat adorned his slender neck. A gentle breeze caressed his soft golden hair as he sat on the grass and laughed at a joke that somebody cracked while his son roamed around the garden under his watchful eyes. The sight was absolutely breathtaking and Saralegui can't help but growl as a green eyed monster named envy slowly gnawed its way into his heart.

He had always fancied himself beautiful, an equal or better than Wolfram in every aspect, but that was five years ago. He smiled, amused as the contrasting image of him and Wolfram crossed his mind. He was 17 then and was proud to say that he acted with the maturity and dignity of an 80 year old noble; while Wolfram was 87 and acted like a spoiled kid. He smirked at the irony, yes, he was far better than Lord von Bielefeld, until Little Lord Brat decided to grow up.

He looked at the 92 year old man and groaned a little louder. He liked this calmer and wiser version of the man as he would never run the risk of being hit by a wayward fireball, but Shinou is he envious! How can someone disappear for five years and come back better than him? What's worse is Lord von Bielefeld current state made him more desirable and irresistible to anyone who caught his attention...himself included. He bowed his head in misery as he let out another depressed sigh. "Life is too cruel!" he whispered a little too loud.

"That doesn't sound good," Yuuri commented as he joined Saralegui in the balcony. Yuuri inhaled deeply before he looked at the ruler of Shou Shimaron and asked, "Something bothering you?"

The blond haired king shook his head and smiled. He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to notice the double black king's presence until he spoke. No doubt his bodyguard Beries is hiding within the shadows and did not deem the Maou's presence as dangerous. Saralegui smirked, if he hadn't known Beries better he might think that the stoic bodyguard had taken a liking to the demon king.

"Just thinking," Saralegui finally replied. "About what?" Yuuri asked back.

Instead of answering, Saralegui turned his attention back at the group of people gathered in the garden. Yuuri followed the direction of Saralegui's gaze and smiled when he saw Wolfram and the others having a picnic. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on top of the balcony's railings as he let his eyes feast on the breathtaking sight before him. The Maou's eyes lingered a little longer on a certain blond haired green eyed angel as a soft smile graced his lips.

Saralegui observed Yuuri with a critical eye and smiled at the innocent picture the young Maou presented. "Lord von Bielefeld is beautiful," he stated as he waited for the black haired king's reaction. "Yeah," Yuuri agreed in a soft, almost dreamlike voice.

The blond king smiled, "His achievements for the past few years had reached all the countries under the alliance." He glanced at Yuuri's direction, "One of which is forming strategic alliances with neighbor countries surrounding the Bielefeld territories."

Yuuri nodded, "That's correct, Gunter and Gwendal were really grateful for that." Saralegui nodded in agreement, "I would be grateful as well." Unconciously, the blond king's gaze lingered on the sword beside Wolfram. "Is it true that Lord von Bielefeld led a battle reminiscent of Sir Weller's Luttenberg victory?"

"It's true," Yuuri confirmed and looked at his friend. "It was a hard time for everyone but he was able to pull it off. Needless to say, he had two brothers very proud of him."

Saralegui smiled once more, "He had changed and matured a lot. I find it hard to believe that he is the same person who throws jealous fits whenever you're talking to someone he deemed a worthy rival for your affection." Yuuri laughed at the comment, "Yeah, he changed a lot, for the better."

The blond king nodded, "You know, with his beauty and achievements, he is easily one of the most eligible bachelor in court, after you of course."

Yuuri looked at the blond with a confused expression as he failed to comprehend his friend's point. "A former prince, a great soldier and Lord Waltorona's successor as head of the Bielefeld house," Saralegui continued as he rested his elbows on top of the balcony's railings as well and looked at Wolfram with a dreamlike expression on his beautiful face. "He's good with kids as well and his diplomatic skills are excellent."

The Maou's eyes narrowed in confusion as Saralegui continued his monologue. Somehow at the back of his mind, the double black king does not like where this conversation is heading to. However, it is disrespectful to interrupt so he decided to just listen. He saw a small smile grace the long haired king's lips as he continued, "He's also intelligent, he's almost perfect and best of all, he's your former fiancé so he knows you personally."

The demon king blushed at the reference of his former relationship with Wolfram. He was about to comment when Saralegui continued, "I just realized. I am twenty two years old, don't you think it's about time I find myself a royal partner?"

Yuuri's jaws dropped open, shocked at the question that his friend threw at him. Saralegui laughed at his reaction, "Don't look as if that thought never crossed your mind," he stated. "I am a king, everyone expects me to get married and produce an heir." The demon king laughed nervously and asked, "You're right, so you have any plans on this?"

The blond smiled and nodded, "I've been thinking about it for sometime now. At first I considered a political marriage between our countries would help strengthen our alliance." Yuuri blushed at the thought and Saralegui laughed. "Don't worry," the blond assured him, "It is a lame idea and I have given up on the thought as well." The double black king sighed in relief.

"That is until someone actually caught my fancy," Saralegui mused which very much surprised Yuuri. "Yes, kind of hard to believe huh?" Unable to answer the blond's question, Yurri simply nodded as he dismissed the sinking feeling at the pit of his stomach that the next sentences the blond would utter would not be to his liking.

Saralegui stood up straight and faced Yuuri, a serious expression on his smiling face. "Yuuri, I have a little favor to ask of you if you don't mind."

Yuuri gulped before he answered, "If I can do it, why not?"

Saralegui smiled in relief, "It's been five years since Lord von Bielefeld broke your engagement, do you think he's interested in forming new non-platonic relationships once more?"

Yuuri's heart officially sank to his feet. "Wolfram?" The blond king nodded his head in affirmation. "Yes, I find him quite interesting and it does not hurt that his background and social status is fit for a person of my stature."

The blond king took Yuuri's hand in his, his amber eyes that glimmered with hope looked straight in Yuuri's confused onyx ones as he asked, "Yuuri, would you help me get to know Lord von Bielefeld better?"

* * *

In all of his years of living in Shin Makoku, Yuuri thought that nothing can surprise him anymore. However after his conversation with Saralegui, he is officially and literally stumped. He cannot believe that the king of Shou Shimaron would be romantically interested in his fiancé. _'EX-FIANCÉ',_ he corrected himself then added as an afterthought, _'Not if I can help it!'_

Yuuri sighed as he stopped walking. He found himself looking out of the window facing the maze garden. He allowed himself a small smile as he remembered the times he spent at the said place with Wolfram and Greta. He made a move to leave when he noticed two people walking toward the garden maze. He squinted and felt his heart beat a hundred miles as he tried to recognize the two figures walking toward the maze. He leaned further into the open window and felt his heart break into pieces as his suspicions were confirmed. _'WOLFRAM!'_ his mind screamed as he felt his body move on its own accord.

* * *

"So tell me again, why are we hiding?" Sethridge asked Wolfram for probably the tenth time. They are playing hide and seek with Rolf together with the others. Apparently, Rolf had always wanted to play the game with the crazy people of Blood Pledge Castle as Greta so often told her little brother stories about the game. Greta volunteered herself and Rolf to play seeker while those who wanted to join searched for their hiding place. Since Sethridge does not know this Earth game, he decided to tag along with Wolfram. So here they are hiding behind big shrubs at the farthest corner of the maze, almost near Yuuri, Wolfram and Greta's secret place by the lake. However, Wolfram wouldn't dare bring his friend there so he opted for the most secluded and biggest shrub he can find near their secret spot. Only a few people knew of its existence and for those who do, only a brave few (like him) dared to go here. They have a big chance of winning this game if he can only make Sethridge shut up.

He sighed as he explained to Sethridge once more, "So that Rolf will have a fun time finding us." The brown haired soldier scratched his head in confusion. "Then why hide if we want him to find us? Why not just tell him where we are?"

Wolfram groaned, "Because that's how this game is played!"

Sethridge clucked his tongue, "I don't really understand this game. It's weird and I don't see the logic. You're just giving yourselves headaches trying to find hiding places only to be discovered later on." Wolfram rolled his eyes, "Because that's what makes this game fun!"

"Fun?" Sethridge raised an eyebrow. "Which part? Playing seeker is tiring, and hiding like this is really a bore." He stifled a laugh when the former prince pouted. "If you would just stop complaining and enjoy the moment--," Wolfram started to explain but was cut short by his friend.

"Aha! That's it!" Sethridge exclaimed, a twinkle of mischief reflected in his eyes. "That makes sense, enjoy the moment, you should have told me earlier."

It was Wolfram's turn to be confused. Sethridge grinned mischievously as he spoke, "Hiding alone is boring, but if there are two people at the same place, it might turn out very interesting indeed." Still confused, Wolfram raised an eyebrow in question.

"Well…" Sethridge started to explain, "if you consider the distance of your hiding place from the base and the number of people playing the game...it would be a not so once in a lifetime opportunity for lovers to engage in a heated make-out session."

Wolfram's mouth opened in shock but he quickly recovered. "Only a perverted guy like you would turn an innocent child's game into something inappropriate." Sethridge chuckled in response, "Well, you're the one who gave me that idea."

"I did not!" he protested. "If you should know, this game can help develop logic and observation." The brown haired noble just laughed, "Whatever, I still think this game was invented as an excuse for make-out sessions."

"I refuse to dignify that comment with an answer," Wolfram replied indignantly. Sethridge laughed, "Spoil sport!" The blond soldier crossed his arms in front of his chest and harrumphed, "I am not listening to you, you're worse than Yuuri on a bad day."

"Speaking of Heika," Sethridge replied, his grin widened as he tried to imagine the look Wolfram's face. "Do you always bring him to your hiding places when you play this game?" Wolfram blushed at the underlying meaning of the question. "You're blushing, I take that as a yes," Sethridge smirked, happy at the thought of his friend's discomfort. "So is Heika a great kisser?"

Wolfram's blush turned a deeper shade of red at the question, "Seth!" The von Crenshaw heir's eyes widened in disbelief, "You're red as a tomato!" Then realization sunk in, "Oh my Shinou! You kissed him?! I was just teasing but oh my!"

"Shut it! If Rolf finds us first, I swear to Shinou, I'll flambé you to a burnt crisp," Wolfram growled as he tried to calm himself and hopefully lessen his blushing. Sethridge heard the dangerous lilt in the former prince's voice and decided to keep his ideas to himself. Both nobles were silent for a good few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Sethridge was still thinking about what he had discovered and found himself glancing at Wolfram's direction, his eyes lingering a little on the blond's pink lips. He smiled when thoughts of claiming those lips entered his mind; he immediately pushed those thoughts away when he saw Wolfram eye him suspiciously. He smiled shyly and looked away.

A few more minutes of silence passed before Wolfram spoke, "Quit it!" Sethridge looked at him in confusion. The blond's eyes narrowed and explained, "Quit running your hands on my back!"

"Huh?" Sethridge blinked in confusion. He looked at his friend and raised both of his hands in defense. Wolfram's eyes opened wide as he pondered on the situation at hand. Unless Sethridge managed to grow a third hand, the tickling movements on his back would have been caused by…

The blond's eyes widened as a small voice at the back of his head made him turn around. _'Oh crap,'_ he thought as his eyes zoomed in on a fire-red mound as tall as Rolf not far from them. He finally remembered why only Yuuri, Greta and he dared to go to this side of the maze. This secluded area is known for weird insects and one of them is something that a fire-wielder like him should avoid if he doesn't want to end up with bite-size itchy rashes for a month.

"Fire ants!" Wolfram shouted as he frantically tried to reach his back in an attempt to dust the insects off him. "Where?" Sethridge asked, confused and amused at the sight of his blond friend's goofy dancing. The former prince shot him an annoyed look before he answered, "My clothes!"

Sethridge's eyes widened in understanding as he stole a glance at the mound his friend was looking at a while ago, true enough, a small trail of fiery red ants were marching toward Wolfram's direction. He immediately moved toward the blond and started to yank the white cravat off the former prince's neck. "What the heck are you doing?!" Wolfram yelled at him. "Helping you! I can't dust them away if they're inside your clothes!" he yelled back.

Wolfram nodded when he understood Sethridge's idea. Articles of clothing flew in all direction as the former prince's upper body garments were hastily cast off, as they hoped to get rid of the offending insects. Unfortunately, neither of them realized that fire ants are attracted to heat and being a fire-wielder, Wolfram without clothes on radiates more body heat, therefore making him more vulnerable and traceable by said insects. Sethridge swatted some of the insects that decided to reside on Wolfram's shoulder off as the blond shouted, "Water! We need water!"

"Right! Where?"

Wolfram shot him an angry glare, "Are you a water-wielder or what?" Sethridge stopped in his tracks and smiled sheepishly, "Oh yeah, I am." He took a deep breath and smirked at his friend. "Okay, here goes nothing!" he exclaimed as he helped Wolfram get rid of the fire ants in the most enjoyable way he can think of.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, a certain Maou is frantically running towards their hiding place. Yuuri never thought it would be possible but after confirming the direction that Wolfram guided Sethridge to he can't help but be nervous. He was starting to curse Saralegui and their weird conversation earlier for the perverted images running through his head. Although he must admit that he did have to thank the blond king later as their conversation earlier served as a wake up call for him.

He had always thought that Wolfram would always be his despite the dissolution of their engagement. He had always relished on the fact that the former prince loved him enough to ward off possible rivals. However, it never occurred to him that people would actually start noticing the changes in the former third prince and be bold enough to act on it. _'Like Saralegui and Sethridge,'_ he thought in annoyance. He sighed as a foreboding feeling enveloped his heart. No matter how hard he tried to reassure himself that the blond belonged to him he can't help but feel insecure and he damn well knew he should.

'_Crap,'_ he thought. '_After all the pain I've put him through, I wouldn't be surprised if he decided not to accept me anymore.'_ He sighed once more as he ran faster, he was so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to notice a wayward piece of clothing headed toward his direction until it conveniently landed on his head. A familiar scent invaded his senses as he removed the offending material. His eyes widened in shock as he recognized the object, a shrub caught his attention as it moved in a very suspicious manner. He stood transfixed at the sight before him but was galvanized into action when he heard a familiar voice sighed in relief.

Without thinking, Yuuri ran through the shrub and tripped on an exposed root. He fell forward on the ground. Slowly he turned his gaze upward and was met with a scene from one of his worst nightmares…Wolfram's half-naked body leaning against Sethridge's embrace. For the second time that day, his heart sank to his feet. He was still wrapped up in his emotions that his mind failed to register the presence of fire ants that scrambled away from the small puddle of water which surrounded Wolfram and Sethridge. He slowly helped himself up and mumbled an apology then ran as fast as he could away from the garden maze.

* * *

To say that Wolfram was surprised by Yuuri's sudden appearance is an understatement; he was shocked that he cannot move away from Sethridge's embrace. It was only after a few seconds after Yuuri ran away did his mind finally grasped the current situation. He immediately broke away from the comforting hug intent on following his king when he felt a hand grab his wrist to stop him.

The blond raised an eyebrow as his gaze drifted from Sethridge's hand on his wrist to his friend's frowning face; the von Crenshaw heir's grip tightened as he asked, "Why?"

"Because…" Wolfram started to reply but was cut off by his friend's statement, "He's no longer your fiancé." The words hit the blond like a bucket of cold water as he sighed in defeat, "You're right."

Sethridge felt guilty when he saw the flicker of pain in his friend's eyes; he sighed as he regretted the words he uttered earlier. He let go of Wolfram's wrist and smiled at him. The blond returned his smile and started to retrieve his discarded and wet clothes. Sethridge watched his friend pick up each piece of clothing and said, "You know, I don't really mind being second best."

Wolfram stopped in his tracks and looked at his friend with sad eyes, he was about to speak when a child's voice interrupted him. "Found you!" Rolf squealed in joy as he ran toward them, Greta smiled behind him. Rolf immediately jumped into his father's arms which caused Wolfram to drop his clothes as he caught him. On the other hand, Greta observed her surroundings and smiled mischievously as a memory crossed her mind.

"Papa Wolfram, you do remember what happened the last time we hid here right?" she asked. The blond smiled in embarrassment as he recalled the said event. They were also playing hide and seek then; the royal family decided to hide together and were quite happy to have found this place. Unfortunately for Wolfram, the fire ants were quite happy to see him as well. Since Yuuri cannot wield water even if his life depended on it in non-Maou mode, he ran around the area like mad in search for any body of water to get rid of the insects. That is how they discovered the path to their secret picnic area after he unceremoniously fell into the lake.

"That was quite a day huh?" Wolfram quipped as he laughed, Greta laughed as she agreed while Sethridge just looked on, unable to comprehend what's funny so he decided to remain silent. On the other hand, a certain brown haired cherub is looking at his father with interest. He was curios as to his father's half-naked state and like any growing normal child he decided to ask, but the words that would come out of his lips weren't quite what his blond father expected.

"Papa, why are you half naked?" Rolf began to ask; Wolfram smiled at him and started to reply when Rolf asked another interesting question. "Are you giving Uncle Seth a show?"

"Show? What do you mean by that?" Wolfram asked back. The young Mazoku was about to answer when Sethridge's hand clamped on the kid's mouth therefore stalling whatever Rolf was about to say. Greta laughed as realization dawned on her while her blond father eyed his friend in suspicion. The von Crenshaw heir gulped loudly and grinned. "Uhm, Wolfram, I have a very rational explanation for this," he started and took Rolf from his father's arms. He deposited the kid on his shoulders and continued, "But for now, we need to get out of here before the fire ants decide to attack again."

Wolfram nodded in acquiescence and took the clothes Greta so thoughtfully collected for him. He quickly dressed up and followed Sethridge, Rolf and Greta out of the shrubs. He took Rolf from Sethridge and said, "Come on Rolf, Papa will help you find the others," he stopped for a moment, looked at Sethridge straight in the eye and smiled sweetly. "I am dying to find out what a 'show' is."

Sethridge gulped audibly as he followed them; he better formulate a really good excuse or he'll be eating fireballs for lunch.

* * *

Yuuri was on his way to the kitchen for a very, very late brunch. After the incident at the garden maze, the double black found himself inside the treasure room, complaining and asking for advice from Morgif. He laughed as he realized how stupid he must have looked as he talked to a sword that moans at almost anything he said. However, he has to admit that it was fun pouring his heart out especially when his audience cannot comment on it. Except for endless moans from Morgif, his time alone in the treasure room helped him sort out the situation.

He would have stayed a little longer if his stomach hadn't decided to remind him that he hadn't eaten anything since last night's party. So here he is on his way to the kitchen and hoped that Effe still had some leftover cookies or cake from dessert. He was about to turn left when an annoyed voice stopped him in his tracks. He immediately hid behind one of the pillars when he recognized that the voice belonged to Wolfram.

He groaned; he was hoping that the rest of his day would pass by peacefully but unfortunately, he always seemed to stumble upon Wolfram's business. He hid himself further when the voices approached his direction; he silently prayed that they would continue to move so that he can proceed to the kitchen but alas! Shinou seemed to be hell bent on teasing him as he heard the footsteps stop right in front of his hiding place.

"I told you, it wasn't my fault!" Yuuri heard Sethridge explain, a few seconds of silence lapsed before he heard Wolfram utter a "hmph". He smiled as he imagined how the former prince looked like. "Really! I swear if I had known that Rolf snuck in the wagon, I wouldn't have let the stripper proceed…" Sethridge explained further but stopped. Yuuri risked a glance from his hiding place and gulped, he almost felt sorry for the von Crenshaw heir when he saw the blond's dangerous aura.

"I can't believe you!" Wolfram yelled. "Stay away from Rolf!"

Yuuri saw a very pissed Wolfram leave Sethridge, he has decided to remain in his hiding place until the brown haired noble left but he was surprised when said noble addressed him, "You may come out now Heika."

The young king scratched the back of his head as he joined the brown haired noble. "How did you know I was hiding there?" he asked as he smiled sheepishly. Sethridge smiled back, "I am a soldier too Heika." Yuuri nodded in understanding.

Silence.

Yuuri glanced at Sethridge, the noble seemed to be in deep thought. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop," for some reason the young king felt like he needed to explain why he was hiding. "I was on my way to the kitchen when I heard you…"

"It's okay Heika, there's no need to worry," Seth replied. The king nodded, "So, ano, I need to go now." Sethridge bowed and stepped aside to let the king pass. Yuuri was almost three meters away from Sethridge when the noble called his attention, "Heika!"

Yuuri turned around to face him, he saw the brown haired soldier take a deep breath before he continued to speak, a dead serious expression on his handsome face. "Wolfram is my precious friend, I will not let anything and I mean anything, or anyone and I mean anyone hurt him again." The double black king stiffened in surprise as he looked at the soldier's serious expression. Then all of a sudden Sethridge's face broke into a goofy grin and said, "See you around Heika!"

The Maou sweatdropped as he watched the soldier's retreating figure. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he thought, _'He's creepy.' _He shrugged as he continued to make his way to the kitchen. He had walked for a few minutes when he spotted a brown haired kid; he smiled as he called the young Mazoku's attention.

"Rolf!" he called as he jogged towards him. The child stopped and waited for the Maou to reach him, he bowed as he greeted, "Heika."

"Call me Uncle Yuuri," the Maou replied. "So where are you going?" Rolf shrugged, "Nowhere in particular."

"I see," Yuuri said as he watched the kid with a critical eye. The child looked bored and lonely as he looked at the garden. An idea clicked on the Maou's head. "Say Rolf, want to play catch with me?" he asked. Rolf's eyes lit up in joy, the kid nodded his head and grabbed Yuuri's hand with every intention of dragging him to the gardens.

They were halfway through when Yuuri's stomach growled. Rolf laughed out loud while Yuuri scratched his head in embarrassment. "Why don't we have a picnic as well Uncle Yuuri?" the child suggested. Yuuri agreed and smiled. The young Mazoku grabbed his hand once more and dragged Yuuri like a rag doll to the kitchen, happy to spend some time with the person everyone loves.

* * *

Wolfram is anxiously pacing in front of the castle's main doors. He was royally pissed at a certain black haired Maou who decided to take his son to Shinou knows where without his permission!

"Damn that wimp!" he cursed out loud, which caused some of the soldiers passing by to look at him. He glared at them and smirked as he watched them scamper away. When he was alone once more he continued with his incessant pacing.

'_Where the heck are you Rolf?'_ he thought anxiously. _'Damn it Yuuri! Maou or not, I'll flambé you when I see you!' _He sighed in defeat as he stopped and sat down on one of the stairs' step. He knew that Yuuri meant well and that he did not want him to worry. He probably wanted to cheer Rolf up as the child was left alone after their hide and seek game ended. But Shinou be damned! No matter how good the intention is Yuuri should know better! Rolf is his child! He should have informed him first!

He groaned as he remembered how he had missed dinner as he almost turned the castle upside down while he searched for his son. Had he not bumped into Doria, he wouldn't have known that his son went on a picnic with the king. Apparently, Doria heard from Dorkaskos that he was searching for Rolf. The maid was kind enough to seek him out and inform him since she was the one who prepared their picnic basket.

He was so relieved by the information that Doria imparted that he decided to have dinner in his room while he waited for his son. He was at peace to know that his son is with Yuuri since Conrad never leaves the Maou's side. He was sure that no harm will come to them as his brother's sword skills would protect them.

Imagine his surprise when he passed by Conrad on his way to the kitchen. Apparently, his brother had just arrived as the brown haired soldier was the one who accompanied the Great Sage back to Shinou's temple. Wolfram paled at the thought of his son and the Maou wandering unprotected. He almost broke into a run had Conrad not stopped him.

Annoyed at the delay, he reluctantly related the situation to his brother. Conrad just smiled at him and said that he should give Yuuri some credit as the Maou is no longer the same sixteen years old he left years ago. The young king had matured and improved as much as he did.

Wolfram sighed as he remembered the way he agreed with Conrad's reason. He must admit that he trusts Yuuri as much as he trusts his brothers. However when the situation involves Rolf, well, let's just say he tends to be a wee bit irrational. Conrad only smiled at him as if to tell him that he understood and told him to wait for the two at the castle's main doors while he will go out and search for them. That was two hours ago and it's really, really late.

He looked up at the sky; darkness had already enveloped the whole castle. The moon and some well lit lamps served as the only guiding light for those still outside the castle walls. He squinted as he checked for any signs of Conrad or Yuuri. _'Five more minutes,'_ he thought to himself. _'If neither of them shows up I'll go search for them as well.'_

After five long agonizing minutes, the former prince stood up and wiped the dust off his coat. He was climbing down the steps when he heard Rolf shout his name. He turned towards the voice's direction and sure enough, his son is running towards him from the garden maze with Yuuri following not far behind. Wolfram almost jumped the last three steps as he ran toward them.

He enveloped Rolf in tight bear hug as he half-scolded his worry, "Where have you been? I've been searching all over for you! Conrad already had a search party going on!"

Yuuri smiled at the scene before him. Typical Wolfram wracked with worry, it was so touching and funny at the same time. He approached the two and teased his former fiancé, "Hey! He's safe with me; you're starting to look like Gunter with all this fuss."

Wolfram shot Yuuri an annoyed and furious look. He stood up as he carried Rolf in his arms and in a dangerously low tone he spoke. "Heika," he started which made Yuuri gulp loud when he saw the fire in the blond's emerald eyes. "Rolf is MY son. If you want to spend some time with him or drag him to Shinou knows where…YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR MY PERMISSION FIRST!" With that said Wolfram stormed off and left a very frightened and bewildered Maou behind.

* * *

Rolf is waiting patiently for Wolfram to finish counting. After they left the Maou behind, they ended up in the room that they are using for the duration of their stay which happened to be Wolfram's old room in the castle. Once inside, his father immediately deposited him on the bed, stood in front of the window and started to count. The little Mazoku knew his father enough not to disturb him while he was trying to calm down. So he just waited patiently until the former prince ire settled down.

After sometime, Wolfram took a deep breath and faced Rolf. He motioned for the child to join him to which the child obliged. As soon as he was near enough, Wolfram kneeled and Rolf gave his father a hug. "I'm sorry about earlier Papa," Rolf said softly. The former prince nodded, "It's alright, just promise you won't do that again. If you want to go out, make sure to inform me or Uncle Seth first okay?" The child nodded in response.

Wolfram let go of Rolf and stood up. He carried Rolf and sat him on the windowsill before he asked, "So how did it go?"

Rolf's face lit up at the question and gave his father an endearing smile, "Oh it was great Papa! Uncle Yuuri and I played catch the whole day! We had a picnic at that secret place you had when you were here. We had lots of sandwiches and cakes and…" Rolf continued to relate how his day went. Wolfram smiled as he half-listened to his son and started to recall the picnics he once shared with Yuuri and Greta. A ghost of a smile lit his face as he turned his attention back to his son.

"Then he made this improvised fishing rod and tried to catch some fish but the fishes were smarter than us so we got back empty handed. It was fun playing with him Papa. You should have been there!" Rolf finished as he tried to catch his breath. Wolfram smiled, "Maybe next time."

The child nodded, "Yes! Uncle Yuuri said we need to have a picnic before we go back to Bielefeld. You, me, him and Greta, like a family picnic, isn't that great Papa?"

'_Family,'_ Wolfram thought, _'That would be nice.'_ He groaned as he realized the direction his train of thoughts were heading to. Damn Yuuri for feeding Rolf sentimental false hopes! However, he had to admit that the idea somewhat felt good.

Rolf yawned, tired from all the happenings this day. "Have you eaten dinner?" the blond asked his son. "Yes Papa, Doria packed us food that could last until breakfast," the young Mazoku replied.

"Okay then, take a bath and get ready for bed," the former prince said. His son stood up and gave him another hug as he helped him get down from the windowsill. Rolf smiled before he walked towards their private bath. The child reached out for the doorknob and stopped for a moment. He looked at his father and smiled.

"Papa," the young Mazoku called out. Wolfram looked at his son and asked, "Do you need something?"

Rolf shook his head and spoke, "Uncle Yuuri is really kind; he's very special and lovable. Rolf now understands why you always choose him over Uncle Seth."

Wolfram felt his jaw drop at the words his seven year old son uttered. He wanted to voice out his protest but no sound came out of his mouth. Rolf gave him an innocent smile and went to proceed to the baths and left Wolfram to ponder on his emotions.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Hello everyone!!! I am not dead lol! My muse got stuck somewhere in limbo when she was trying to travel from Shin Makoku to Earth, I finally found her in our bathroom two weeks ago lol! I am currently writing the next chapter and yeah I chained my muse to a chair so she won't leave me again lol!  
_

_Much love and thanks to my friend clover71 for beta-reading this chapter!_

_For those who reviewed my past chapter thank you so much! I hope I was able to reply to all those signed reviews, and for those unsigned reviewers, read on!_

_YuuRam_Lover: Thanks for the review! I love Rolf as well lol!_

_sparklingwhite: Thanks for the review, glad you liked it!_

_no name: Thanks for liking this story!_

_As always, if you have time please leave a review, it helps me a lot in developing this little story of mine. Thanks!_

**Standard disclaimer applies, I don't make any money out of this so please don't sue me (",)**

_On with the chapter._

* * *

**  
Chapter 7  
**

The 27th Maou of Shin Makoku trudged along the hallways of Blood Pledge Castle. It was way past midnight but sleep eluded him, still bothered by the incident with Rolf and Wolfram earlier. He had tried to push the thoughts from his head by doing extra paper works to Gwendal's delight. However it seems like his body is hell-bent on defying him. He wasn't even half-way done when his hand started to get cramped so he took the next best strategy he could think of: counting T-zou's to sleep. Then again there were only so much of the poor sheep's imaginary bleeping sounds his troubled mind could take before he started to develop a bad case of migraine. Therefore, left with no choice as he was already settled comfortably in his large and cold bed, he opted to make the long trek towards the kitchen for his no-fail, foolproof, sleep inviting plan...a hot cup of cocoa.

"Heika," a soldier on patrol greeted him as he turned the corner that lead to the kitchen. "Hey," he greeted back, "can't sleep, need something to drink," he added when he saw the inquiring look on the soldier's face. The soldier nodded in understanding, he then bowed and left the Maou to resume his patrol. Yuuri continued on his trek to the kitchen, his thoughts lingered on the incident as his bruised ego resented the haughty way Wolfram handled the situation. On the other hand, the rational side of him argued that he understood where the ex-prince's reaction came from. He had seen how the blond interacted with kids and how the fire-wielder fussed over their adopted daughter when she was a child, it was only fair that he will become a bit more protective when it involves his only son.

He sighed as he stopped in front of the kitchen doors. Much as he wants to deny it, he is still a novice on the subject of Wolfram von Bielefeld. He shook his head to erase the thoughts in his mind as he slowly opened the door. The smell of hot chocolate greeted his senses as soon as entered the dimly lit kitchen. His eyes scanned the room and saw a faint light coming from one of the small stoves at the corner of the room. His eyes made out the silhouette of a person standing in front of a pot of what his nose cheerfully confirmed as hot cocoa.

He smiled as he slowly made his way towards the wonderful person who just made his goal for the night a reality. His smile broadened as he recognized who the _'wonderful person'_ is. _'Time to improve my Wolfram 101 knowledge,'_ he thought smugly as the blond Mazoku slowly turned around. His breathing hitched a little at the sight before him…a confused Wolfram dressed in silk green pyjamas bathed in the soft glow of the fire from the stove behind him. The sight was so magical that he thought he would die from the rapid beating of his heart.

"Heika," Wolfram spoke, unintentionally breaking the magical moment. "What are you doing here?"

Yuuri sighed sadly. Trust Wolfram to ruin the beginnings of a romantic moment. He smiled and replied, "Can't sleep, and please call me Yuuri."

"Okay Yuuri," the blond answered tentatively, unsure if he was doing the right thing by addressing the Maou by his first name. Again.

"See, it wasn't that hard to say right?" Yuuri smiled to which Wolfram just shrugged. The double black sighed, "Please don't add to the list of people I have to remind. Conrad is enough. So what are you doing?"

Wolfram was surprised at the subtle way that Yuuri scolded him and ended the conversation. He smiled and answered the Maou's question, "I'm making hot chocolate." The blond almost dropped the wooden spoon he held when Yuuri whooped and did a goofy dance. Wolfram turned around and started to stir the mixture inside the pot in order to hide the smile on his face caused by Yuuri's antics.

On the other hand, the young king's face sported a cute pout when he realized that Wolfram conveniently ignored him. He drew in a deep breath as he walked toward the nearest table and sat on it. He started to sulk like a child deprived of attention that he failed to notice Wolfram make his way towards him until a steaming cup of hot cocoa floated in his line of vision. Surprised, Yuuri looked up and saw Wolfram nod at him as if ordering him to take the proffered cup.

Muttering his thanks, the Maou took the cup as the blond joined him on the table. They drank in silence and barely noticed that the distance between them was more or less a foot long.

Silence reigned as the two young men were lost in their thoughts. It was quite unnerving for them to see each other at this sleep-deprived state as each of them were the reason why the other cannot sleep.

Yuuri was thinking of ways to start a conversation but cannot seem to find a good topic so he opted to verbalize the first thing that came to mind, "The sky looks beautiful tonight don't you think?"

If Wolfram was surprised by the abrupt question, his face did not show any indication. Instead he stopped drinking, looked at Yuuri's direction and muttered, "Only you can utter a wimpy sentence to start a lame conversation."

Yuuri was about to retort but decided to shut up instead. Silence reigned once more until Wolfram decided that he sounded a little harsh and tried to take some sting off the remark. "Yes, I have never seen a more beautiful night sky than the one we have tonight," the blond said as he gave Yuuri a small smile.

The double black king smiled and mustered the courage to talk back. They had an easy conversation about the past five years. Wolfram related what he had been up to during his stay at Bielefeld. He shared his experience during the infamous battle and how he was able to make alliances and such. Yuuri listened patiently as the blond chatted happily. He smiled as he saw the pride reflected on the blond's fiery green eyes. After sometime, the blond stopped and said, "No fair, you need to tell me what happened to you as well."

Yuuri chuckled when he saw the blond pout. He nodded then spoke of how he had fared for the past five years. How they have reached a détente with Big Shimaron and formed an alliance with Small Shimaron. He then continued to relay on the progress of each country under the alliance, his new adventures, events that happened in the castle during Wolfram's absence and things that they usually enjoyed during their hey-days. Wolfram in turn listened attentively and gave his opinion and comments when they were needed. Both enjoyed the conversation and fell silent after sometime.

"Thank you," Wolfram uttered as he broke the silence and smiled at the black eyed king.

"Huh?" Yuuri answered intelligently. The blond shook his head as he smirked at the reaction. "For not sending me letters...for not visiting me...letting me do as I wish...letting me prove my worth," Wolfram smiled and glanced at Yuuri. "Thank you for understanding what I needed."

Yuuri took a deep breath and glanced at the moon from the kitchen's windows. A few minutes of silence passed before the young king spoke, "It was really hard for me." Yuuri lay down on the table and closed his eyes, he could feel Wolfram's gaze and savoured the moment for as long as he could before he opened his eyes and met Wolfram's gaze.

The ex-prince gasped when he saw the flicker of pain reflected on the young king's eyes. He felt guilty knowing that he might have been the cause of such misery on the double black's heart. He closed his eyes as he wanted so much to comfort the young monarch but an inner battle was raging inside his soul as he knew that he does not have any right to do so anymore. _'Oh crap, to hell with ethics!'_ Wolfram thought as he opened his emerald eyes once again and met Yuuri's black ones. He hesitantly moved his hand to give Yuuri a comforting pat. He was surprised when the young king grabbed his hand and kissed it.

"It was really hard not to interfere knowing that you were the one involved," Yuuri continued as he tentatively placed the hand he'd been holding against the left side of his chest. "But I knew you wanted to move on and I popping up uninvited and sending you letters won't help. So I had to bear with it even if it hurt me a lot."

"I'm sorry," Wolfram said with a tinge of self-reproach, his voice low and delicate.

"Don't be," Yuuri replied. "It did all of us a lot of good. It made me work hard as well, to become a man worthy of your love and respect."

Wolfram gasped at the words the king uttered and coupled with Yuuri's smile was mesmerized for a moment. Yuuri chuckled at the reaction and took the opportunity to slowly maneuver his and Wolfram's position so that the blond ended up sitting on his lap.

Yuuri sighed contentedly at the warm bundle in his arms. The movement caused the ex-prince to become aware of his current position and started to move away from the monarch's embrace. "Don't," Yuuri begged softly as he tightened his hold on the blond.

"But.." Wolfram protested.

"Please Wolf," Yuuri begged once more as he buried his head on Wolfram's shoulder. "Just a few minutes and I won't bother you again. Just give me this moment."

Wolfram sighed in defeat, he could never say no to Yuuri. He suddenly remembered Rolf's remark and chuckled. Yuuri looked up and asked, "What's funny?"

"Noth-", Wolfram started to say but stopped when he saw the tender look on Yuuri's eyes. _'Big mistake looking in his eyes,'_ he scolded himself.

Yuuri slowly snaked his left arm around Wolfram's waist as his right hand found its way on the back of the blond's neck. Without breaking eye contact, he hesitantly pulled Wolfram's body and face towards his. Wolfram unconsciously licked his lips and closed his eyes as he anticipated the kiss. They could almost feel each other's sweet breath when the doors to the kitchen slammed open.

"Heika--," Gwendal stopped when he saw his youngest brother and Yuuri sprawled on the floor. One look at their awkward position and the colours on their faces and he knew that he interrupted something important. He abruptly turned around to hide his blush and mustered all his strength to let his voice remain calm.

"I cannot find you in your room Heika that's why I decided to look for you," Gwendal explained. "But continue what you were doing, don't mind me, I'll let myself out."

Gwendal noticed that Yuuri was watching him as made his way to the door and discreetly glanced back at them. He smiled a little when he saw the loving look that Yuuri bestowed upon his youngest brother as he helped Wolfram stand up. He was pulling the door close when he suddenly remembered the reason why he was searching for the king.

Gwendal smirked as the door closed behind him and counted from one to ten. He then threw the door open which surprised the room's occupants and in the most nonchalant, calm and normal devil-may-care voice he could muster said, "Oh by the way Heika, I forgot to tell you, the castle is under attack."

***************

Yuuri sighed as he admired the way Wolfram dodged an enemy's attack from his hiding place. The double black king knew that he shouldn't be hiding in such a place but his stubborn self couldn't help it. He remembered how Wolfram left the kitchen in a hurry after Gwendal's announcement. He was about to go after the blond when Conrad appeared and promptly accompanied him to the "panic room". While on their way to the panic room, Conrad related that most of the nobles and guests still in the castle were already ushered to secret rooms which lessened his worry.

He remembered the way he sighed in relief when he saw Murata, Shouri, his parents, Greta, Rolf, Lady Celi, Anissina, Hube and his family inside the room. The Shibuya family were relieved that their youngest son is safe and Jennifer hugged Yuuri in relief. The young monarch just smiled as his eyes scanned the room for a certain blond. He was about to discretely ask Conrad of Wolfram's whereabouts when Rolf answered his unspoken question with a _"Papa's outside making sure we are safe here."_ The young king smiled and walked towards the child to comfort him when emerald eyes so much like Wolfram's looked pleadingly at him and said, _"So please don't do anything rash Heika."_

Yuuri smiled as he remembered thinking 'Busted' after Rolf spoke those words. He almost felt guilty giving Greta a sharp look when he heard her chuckle after he assured the young Mazoku that he wouldn't do anything rash. The look of disbelief Conrad gave him while he instructed Hube to look after everyone was enough to stab at his conscience. Yuuri had even promised Conrad that he would try to settle down, with an emphasis on the word 'try' so that the captain would leave them be. Conrad finally left the room to join the battle after Lady Celi and Anissina's assured the captain that all will be well.

He gasped as he covered his mouth to stifle a scream when he saw a big soldier charge at Wolfram's direction. He sighed in relief when he saw a fireball coming from one of Wolfram's personal guards stopped the enemy. He almost felt annoyed when Wolfram smiled at the young soldier but never had enough time to contemplate on it when he heard footsteps coming from behind. Yuuri hurriedly moved from his position and using the shadows as his cover, he scrambled to hide behind one of the pillars facing the battle ground which by the way happened to be the ground in front of the castle doors.

How the enemies penetrated the country's defenses to get this close to the castle was a mystery and as dense as the double black was he knew how grave the situation was. That's why he was taking extra care in not being caught. He knew he was being irresponsible by sneaking out of the room. He bet that Hube and the others would be wracked with worry once they find out that he'd been missing. _'Once they wake up that is,'_ he thought smugly as he glanced at his digital watch, _'and that will be an hour from now.'_

He smiled at the memory of] how he made all the occupants of the room fall asleep using Anissina's _'Go-to-sleep-kun'_, Shin Makoku's milder equivalent of a tear gas and surprisingly one of the scientist's successful inventions. _'It was a good thing I always bring a vial with me. I am so sorry everyone but I cannot just settle down,'_ he apologized silently, carefully moving further to observe the on-going battle unaware of a pair of bright blue eyes following his every move.

Yozak saw Yuuri carefully move from his hiding place to get nearer to the battleground and couldn't help but sigh. He pursed his lips in displeasure at the sight of an enemy soldier attempting to climb through an open window. He immediately moved towards the intruder and knocked him out cold. He kept a _'safe distance'_ from the Maou after he knocked down two or three more intruders. Chuckling silently, he noticed the young monarch sigh in relief as he went out of his hiding place to take a peek at his surroundings. The young monarch thought that he was doing a good job keeping himself away from trouble.

Little did he know that the reason why nobody attacked him at all was Yozak's doing. The spy had been watching the Maou's back ever since the double black sneaked out of the room. _'Captain and Lord Wolfram were right,'_ Yozak thought._'That kid is too kind for his own good.'_ The spy smiled as he blocked a sword attack from his enemy and pushed his opponent to the ground. He quickly gave his opponent a punch that rendered the enemy unconscious. _'As long as that kid remains in the shadows he's safe. I guess he's mature enough to know how grave the situation is,'_ he thought while dodging out of harm's way. He punched the enemy and turned around just in time to see Yuuri shout and bolted out of his hiding place charging right into the middle of chaos. "Damn! Spoke too soon!" Yozak cursed out loud as he ran after their wayward king.

***************

Sethridge groaned out loud when he saw Yuuri holding Morgif as the double black blocked the sword of the enemy that tried to attack the soldier form behind. Mixed emotions of relief, anxiety and fear for the monarch's safety rushed through his being and the image of an angry fire Mazoku entered his mind. He quickly disposed of his and the Maou's opponents then grabbed the Maou's hand with the intention of bringing him to safety as quickly as he could.

"What are you doing Lord von Crenshaw?" Yuuri asked angrily as the soldier dragged him from the battlefield through the shadows, avoiding enemy soldiers and shielding him with his sword.

"What do you think you are doing Heika?" Sethridge hissed back as he dodged out of harm's way, never once did he let go of the Maou's hand. Sethridge glanced around and saw a pillar where they can hide and dragged the double black towards it. Once safely hidden from everyone's view he shouted, "Wolfram will kill me if something happens to you!"

"What?" Yuuri asked. "I just saved your life! That's the thanks I get?"

Sethridge groaned as he answered, "I am a soldier Heika. It is an honor to die defending the Maou."

"Well this Maou is not happy with anyone dying for his sake!" Yuuri said, his voice rising a notch.

"You're impossible!" Sethridge exclaimed as he glanced around and unconsciously loosened his grip on the double black. Yuuri took the opportunity to escape from Sethridge's grasp and ran towards the battlefield.

"HEIKA!!!!" Sethridge shouted as loud as he could to get the retainers' and the Maou's soldiers' attention while he himself ran after the stubborn king. Conrad, Gunter, Gwendal and Wolfram all heard Sethridge and watched in horror as their beloved Maou ran towards the battlefield unprotected with Sethridge running after him and Yozak following a few paces behind.

Conrad immediately sprang into action and disposed of his opponents as he ran towards Yuuri's direction. Wolfram sighed in relief when he saw Gwendal block an opponent's sword that tried to attack Yuuri from the right. He himself blocked his opponent's sword and dodged an attack from the right. He stole a glance towards Yuuri's direction and saw the retainers surround Yuuri, protecting him from harm.

Wolfram immediately unarmed his opponent and slowly made his way towards the group huddled around the Maou. He slashed, thrust and dodged his way through the enemies blocking his way. Little did he know that a certain pair of onyx eyes watched his every move with mixed worry and awe. As soon as he reached their huddle, Gwendal ordered him to bring the Maou to safety. Wolfram nodded in understanding and ordered, "Sethridge clear the path, Yozak watch our backs. Yuuri stay beside me and don't do anything stupid!"

If Yuuri showed defiance with Sethridge earlier, his face reflected a mixture of fear and worry after he heard Wolfram's commanding voice. Left with no choice, he meekly followed the ex-prince as his group ran towards the safety of the castle.

Wolfram silently called on his fire maryoku and created a wall of fire around him and Yuuri effectively creating a shield for him and the Maou while Sethridge and Yozak tried their best to cover the two's escape.

The group was on their way to the panic room when Wolfram suddenly stopped and drew his sword while his other hand created a fireball. Yozak and Sethridge immediately surrounded the Maou as they sensed the danger lurking behind the shadows. Yuuri gulped as a few minutes of silence passed and the feeling of danger grew at each passing minute.

A flash of metal caught the double black's eye. He tried to warn the others but never had the chance to do so as he found himself on his butt after Wolfram quickly pushed him out of harm's way. Everything became a blur. Yuuri vaguely saw Sethridge, Yozak and Wolfram take down an enemy one after the other, and he could hear Wolfram yelling for him to run somewhere safe.

Yuuri was torn between following Wolfram's orders and staying behind to help and the moment of indecisiveness caused him trouble. Unbeknownst to the three, there was a soldier hidden within the shadows, creeping like a predator preparing to pounce on its prey as he slowly moved towards the king. Yozak saw the movement out of the corner of his eye and shouted, "Heika!"

Wolfram eyes widened in horror as the soldier attacked Yuuri from behind. Adrenaline rushed through the blond's body as he summoned his maryoku and threw a fireball at the charging soldier as fast as he could.

Yuuri turned around in time to see a sword aimed at him. The attempted ambush had petrified him, any reaction he had in mind had been forgotten. He stood still, expecting the pain he knew would ensue once the weapon pierces through his skin when a burst of fire came out of nowhere and set the soldier ablaze. Then everything happened too quickly. Fireballs were hurled everywhere and the enemies were driven away.

He saw Yozak run after the soldiers and he heard Sethridge calling out Wolfram's name. The young Maou was brought out of his catatonic state and ran towards the area where Wolfram stood. The blond was still blindly throwing fireballs which Sethridge impeded with his own water spheres. Yuuri was astounded at the scene in front of him.

"What's happening?" Yuuri asked as he made his way towards Sethridge's direction.

"I don't know Heika, he just suddenly lost it! We need to stop him, he's bleeding! He got a nasty slash at the back when he threw that fireball to save you!" Sethridge said frantically.

Words failed to slip through Yuuri's lips, suddenly feeling that he was somehow at fault. He had a pretty good idea what Wolfram did to get the nasty wound. He shook his head as if to dispel the thoughts from his head and turned to Sethridge. "Lord von Crenshaw! Are you willing to be flambéed by Wolfram later in order to save his life now?"

Sethridge looked at him quizzically, "I can't understand what you're saying Heika."

"I just need an answer, do you want to save Wolfram's life or not?!" Yuuri asked once more.

"Of course I do!"

Yuuri smiled and walked towards Sethridge. "Follow my lead," the double black said as he called on his maryoku and threw a stream of water towards the blond himself instead of the fireballs. Sethridge understood the logic behind when he saw Wolfram stagger a little as the water hit him hard. He saw the blond balance himself and threw a fireball which was smaller and weaker than the previous one.

"You know he's gonna flambé us after this," Sethridge stated as he gathered his maryoku at the palm of his hands. Yuuri nodded and smiled, "I'll brave any fire as long as he's alive." Sethridge smiled back and nodded. "Wolfram, we're sorry!" The two water wielders shouted as they released their maryoku towards the blond.

**************

Murata smirked as he saw Yuuri glanced at the door impatiently while Gwendal was reading the report regarding the castle attack the night before. The Great Sage had to stifle the urge to laugh out loud as Gwendal asked their king if he had any questions and his friend just gave his chief administrator a blank and embarrassed look.

"You weren't listening," Gwendal stated the obvious which earned a nervous chuckle from the double black.

"Uhmm, ano," Yuuri started but words failed to form in his bright mind. The chief administrator sighed in defeat. He rubbed his forehead as he fought the onslaught of a headache. "Go, we will continue this meeting tomorrow," Gwendal said to which the young monarch gladly and promptly followed. Murata chuckled as he saw his friend bolt out of the room in a matter of seconds.

"I know I should be happy about this," Gwendal commented as they all watched the door slam shut. The other occupants of the room looked at him expectantly, urging him to go on. "But I have a bad feeling I'll earn wrinkles faster in the time Wolfram stays here than the last five years added up."

"Oh but you look better with wrinkles," Gunter teased him as they heard a knock from the door. "Come in," Gwendal said and waited as the door opened and an orange haired spy walked inside the office. "Did I come at a bad time?" Yozak asked as he looked at everyone in the room.

"No, you're just in time," Gwendal said.

"Good, just as we suspected, most of the soldiers who attacked us were humans," Yozak reported. "But I can never figure out how they got past the soldiers on patrol at the borders."

"You think someone's helping them?" Murata asked.

Yozak shrugged, "I don't know Geika, but I think now's a good time to have an impromptu visit on the borders."

Gwendal nodded, "I will personally see to it, anything else?"

"Oh yeah, while I was gathering information, some of the soldiers handed me some interesting items," Yozak said as he placed a small dagger and a flag ripped in two on Gwendal's desk. The other occupants of the room moved closer to examine the items. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they recognized the insignia on both items.

"Conrad," Gwendal started but was cut off by his brother. "I'm on it Gwendal," Conrad assured him.

"Please do not tell Heika about this yet, he may have matured but I don't think he's ready for this one," Gwendal instructed and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I guess I'm off," Yozak said. "I'll send you an update once I get a rational explanation for this." Gwendal nodded and went back to work as the other occupants of the room left except for Gunter.

"Gwendal," Gunter whispered softly. "Everything will be alright," he assured his husband as the chief administrator rewarded the lavender haired adviser a rare smile.

***************

Yuuri ran as fast as his legs could carry him to the infirmary but slowed down when he saw Sethridge pacing in front of the infirmary door. "Lord von Crenshaw," Yuuri approached the Mazoku, who bowed in his presence.

"What are you doing out here?" The king asked soon as he was standing in front of Sethridge. The von Crenshaw heir smiled shyly then smirked, "I'd rather stay here than risk being burned."

Yuuri gulped loudly as Sethridge's words brought back a scene to mind which would surely incur the wrath of a handsome fire Mazoku. "Maybe he'll forget about it?" Yuuri asked hopefully.

Sethridge shook his head, "Most probably not." He then pulled Yuuri and placed him in front of the door and bowed, "After you Heika."

Yuuri stepped aside, "No, you're his childhood friend. You should go first."

"You outrank me Heika. You should go first," Sethridge replied.

"No I insist," Yuurir said through clenched teeth.

"No," Sethridge opened his mouth to continue when they both heard someone cough behind them. They both turned around to find the person they were supposed to visit standing in front of them.

"If you two don't have any plans of going inside the infirmary. Kindly step out of the way," Wolfram said in a tone that left no room for argument.

"Wolfram! What are you doing here?" Sethridge asked.

"What are you two doing outside bickering? Are you sick or something?" the blond asked instead of answering. When no one answered he asked again, "Or are you trying to make moves on the doctor? Isn't that a little too early considering what happened last night?"

"No!" Yuuri and Sethridge answered together.

Wolfram raised an eyebrow in amusement, "No to what?"

"Both," the two replied in unison.

"Whatever," Wolfram remarked. He looked at Yuuri and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting right now?"

"We finished early," the double black replied. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Gisela healed the wound and Rolf used his healing maryoku to help me sleep comfortably last night," he replied.

"That's good, so Rolf knows how to heal?" Yuuri asked. "Yes," Wolfram replied proudly, "the wound wasn't life threatening, there wasn't a need to fuss over it."

"Well we can't help but be worried at that time right Lord von Crenshaw?" Yuuri defended to which Sethridge nodded in agreement.

"That time," Wolfram said softly as if in deep thought. Sethridge and Yuuri looked on curiously then started to feel the beginnings of fear envelope their hearts when they saw Wolfram smirk evilly and said, "Which reminds me."

The blond opened the door to the infirmary and pushed Yuuri and Sethridge inside. He immediately went in and closed the door. He conveniently leaned on the door and crossed his arms. The evil smirk never leaving his handsome face as both Yuuri and Sethridge shivered in fear.

"Gisela!" Wolfram called out to the healer. "You have two more patients to tend to today."

The healer turned around and saw Yuuri and Sethridge visibly flinch while looking at Wolfram who was casually leaning on the door. She smiled in amusement as she saw the evil smirk on the ex-prince's face before she answered, "Really? What for?"

The smirk on Wolfram's face widened as he created two fireballs and saw Yuuri and Sethridge's eyes widened in fear as he answered, "First degree burns."


End file.
